204 DISEASES OF HORSES. 



surgeon to dissect down on the nerves of the tail, and divide 

 them ; and when from nicking, it would be advisablts to cut off 

 another portion of the tail, which practices in both instances would 

 afford a moderate chance of saving the animal. It is necessary 

 further to remark, that it is of great consequence that the bowels 

 be kept free from faeces, by raking and clysters. With regard to 

 the latter they are very important in this disease, as a medium, 

 commonly the only one, of giving support. A horse has been 

 kept alive on nourishing clysters alone, for seven or eight days. 

 (^Vet. Pharm. 145.) 



13. Catarrhal fever, epidemic catarrh, influenza, distemper, cold^ 

 morfoundering, ^c. These names apply to one common disease, 

 which often in rainy, variable seasons appears as an epidemic, 

 and affects thousands of horses at once. It is observed to be par- 

 ticularly prevalent in this form in the spring of some years, more 

 than of others. It is not contagious like the more malignant form, 

 but is brought on as an epidemic by the same causes being applied 

 to nearly all subjects alike ; which are alterations of heat with 

 cold, moisture, and dryness, &c. In crowded cities and large 

 towns, it is more prevalent than in more open situations, and it 

 i's more frequently found in the young than in aged horses. Where 

 it does not exist as an epidemic, it is brought on by an accidental 

 cold taken. It is of great consequence to distinguish it from pure 

 inflammation of the lungs, with which it is very apt to be con- 

 founded ; and which mistake is often a fatal one, from the treat- 

 ment being in some essential particulars different. Inflammation 

 of the lungs commences by a short cough, without much other 

 disturbance to the health, than the pain it gives the horse to cough, 

 but which is often so considerable as to make him stamp his feet 

 while coughing. If a horse in the distemper coughs early, it is not 

 a hollow, harsh sounding, and distressing cough of this kind — if 

 he expresses uneasiness, it is principally from a sore throat, which 

 is very common in distemper, but by no means common in 

 pneumonia. The sore throat in distemper gives the horse a dis- 

 position to refuse his food, or he chews it and lets the quid fall 

 witnout swallowing it. He refuses water, particularly if it be 

 placed on the ground ; his cough is quick, short, and usually 

 sounds more moist than harsh and dry; but though common, this 

 is not invariably the ease ; his eyes are heavy and moist, his breathing 

 is quickened, and his ears and legs are alternately hot and cold. 

 His nose on looking into it is redder than usual, and sometimes 

 his glands, as well submaxillary or jaw glands, as his parotid or 



