28 THE DISEASES OF HORSES, 



portion of the membrane which covers the lower part of the membrane 

 of the nose — that which you can most readily bring into view — day after 

 day, and under all the varying circumstances of health and disease ; study 

 it until you are enabled to recognise, and you soon will, and that with a 

 degree of exactitude you would have scarcely thought possible, the pale 

 pink hue when the horse is in health, the increasing blush of red and the 

 general and uniform painting of the membrane betokening some ex- 

 citement of the system — the streaked appearance when inflammation is 

 threatening or commencing, the intensely florid red of inflammation be- 

 coming acute ; the starting of the vessels from their gossamer coat and 

 then seeming to run bare over the membrane when the inflammation is at 

 the highest ; the pale ground with patches of livid red, showing the half 

 subdued but still existing fever ; the uniform colour, but somewhat redder 

 than natural, indicating a return to a healthy state of the circulation ; the 

 paleness approaching to white accompanying a state of debility, and yet 

 some radiations of crimson showing that there is still considerable irrita- 

 bility, and that mischief may be in the wind ; the pale livid colour warning 

 you that the disease is assuming a typhoid character ; the darker livid 

 announcing that typhus is established, and that the vital current is stag- 

 nating ; and the browner, dirty painting, intermingling with and subduing 

 the lividness, and indicating that the game is up. These will be guides to 

 our opinion and treatment which we can never too highly value." Catarrh 

 having a tendency to extend and induce fever, with 'cough, sore throat, 

 loss of appetite — for the horse will not eat if it pains him to swallow — and 

 inflammation, it is most important to watch and check it in its earliest 

 stages, when it is easily managed. The first symptom generally observed 

 is a slight running at the nose, with sometimes a slighter weeping from 

 the eyes, a little increased labour in breathing, caused by the passages 

 being diminished by the thickening of the membrane, and also by their 

 increased irritability. The producing causes are neglect of grooming, 

 change of clothing, &c., and the treatment consists in removal of cause- 

 placing the horse in a properly ventilated stable, where he can breathe cool, 

 pure air, and have warm bedding and clothing. Give warm mashes, and 

 what ostlers rather inconsistently term chilled water, meaning water with 

 the chill taken off ; and give in the mash six drachms to an ounce of pow- 

 dered nitre. If the bowels are not affected by the mashes and soft food, it 

 may be well to use an enema with that object ; if it be accompanied by 

 a swelling under the jaws, use a stimulating liniment, such as hartshorn 

 and oil, with turpentine. To promote the discharge steaming is of great 

 value. A hair bag, such as is used in making cider, should be a quarter 

 filled with chaff, and boiling water poured over it, the steam being kept up 

 by adding boiling water at intervals through a hole in the side of the bag, 

 having a flap over it to prevent escape of steam. 



Cold.— See Catarrh. 



Colic— Colic is of two kinds— spasmodic and windy colic, and the disease 

 is known by other names, as gripes, fret, cramp, gullion, and belly ache, 



