284 Indian Racing Reminiscences. 



right, I believe he would have developed into a second 

 Caliph. His mishap was all my fault, for I ought not 

 to have allowed such a valuable horse to run the risks 

 •of a steeplechase. 



Having sold Vesper, Bismillah, and Nadir Khan, and 

 -sent back Dwarroon and Young Snowden to Lucknow, 

 I devoted my attention to Speechless, Substitute, Lady 

 Aid, Czarina, and North Star. The first named, who 

 was entered for several down-country races, had, shortly 

 after his arrival in India, contracted a severe form of 

 indigestion ; probably on account of having been put too 

 soon on " hard food." I may say, in passing, that when 

 the mucous membrane — or internal skin, if I may use 

 the expression — of the intestinal canal gets out of order, 

 the outer skin, hair, and hoofs of horses and other 

 .animals are very liable to participate in the disturbance, 

 owing to the parts which secrete these structures being 

 continuous with each other. Thus we find that a large 

 dose of aloes may bring on fever in the feet, and cause 

 the hair of the mane and tail to fall off. Even in our 

 own cases some trifling error of diet may cause a rash 

 on the skin. The indigestion from which Speechless 

 .suffered made the condition of his skin so irritable that 

 the slightest rub caused an ugly sore. This rendered 



