DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER I. 



DISEASES OP THE ORGANS OF MASTICATION. 



The diseases and mechanical impediments to the 

 mouth and teeth are very common in the horse, and 

 they are often overlooked until the animal is very 

 much emaciated. A horse was brought to me in 

 the following condition : Saliva dropping from the 

 mouth, and if the animal was offered food it would 

 greedily take it into its mouth and try to chew it, 

 then drop it out, and if water was given it would 

 try to drink, but could swallow very little of it. 

 The horse had been in this condition for five days, 

 and had lost flesh rapidly, and was weak. I exam- 

 ined the mouth and could not see anything wrong 

 at first, but the symptoms indicated that the 

 trouble was in the mouth. I twitched the nose, 

 and taking the tongue in my hand, drawing it to 

 one side and passing the tooth rasp between the 

 cheek and the molar teeth, I discovered that the 

 fourth molar tooth was split, the smallest portion 

 sticking partially in the gum and muscles of the 

 cheek. This I removed by pressing the end of the 



