CAUSES OF KOAKING. 503 



connected with the organs of respiration, roaring must un- 

 doubtedly come within the definition of an hereditary cause. 

 But when a thickening takes place of the mucous membrane 

 lining the parts which are the seat of the disorder, or ossifica- 

 tion of the cartilages of the windpipe, in consequence of in- 

 flammation, resulting fi-om bronchitis, influenza, colds, or such- 

 like accidental occurrences, providing no malformation of the 

 parts previously existed, roaring cannot with propriety be de- 

 nominated hereditary. The difliculty is such cases is to deter- 

 mine whether that malformation of parts does exist. To assign 

 to such accidental causes as the latter the aspersion of heredi- 

 tary transmission, is not consonant with reason. 



There are as many degrees or intonations of roaring, as there 

 are notes on the gamut ; and those notes ascend from piano to 

 forte. This renders it difiicult in some slight cases to decide 

 positively whether a horse is a roarer or not ; and good judges 

 may be mistaken. The state of the animal very frequently 

 occasions an impediment to an accurate decision ; if he be in 

 very plethoric condition, he will not unfrequently give sligl^t 

 indications of roaring ; but when he is divested of that super- 

 abundance of fat, all the disagreeable symptoms disappear. 

 The usual test of startling the animal, is by no means an infal- 

 lible criterion, neither is the stethoscope in all cases to be relied 

 upon. There is but one positive mode of determining the ques- 

 tion ; the animal being in a proper condition, lie must be ridden 

 and tried in all his paces. With stallions this proof is not oft- 

 en practicable ; and unless they are badly ali'ected, it is often 

 impossible to prove that they are roarers. There is no point 

 upon which the owner of such a horse is so tenacious as that of 

 an accusation that his favorite is a roarer. Tell the proprietor 

 that his horse's legs are bad, insinuate that he broke down in 

 consequence, he will receive your remark with complacency ; 

 tell him that his horse's hocks are bad, and point out to him an 

 incipient spavin, or an unequivocal curb, he will receive your 

 objection vtdth indifference ; point out to him a multitude of 

 unsymmetrical proportions, he will listen to you with calmness; 

 but only intimate to him that you think his horse is a roarer, 

 and he will roar in your ear a challenge of defiance in proof of 

 your allusion. 



