THEIR PATHOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT. 55 



food, by giving a little and often, never leaving any before it untouched ; 

 strong gruel, mashes with carrots and linseed, and tea made from good hay, 

 a little good hay, freshly bruised oats, and roots may also be allowed if the 

 animal will take them ; exercise must be permitted gradually to the con- 

 valescent, and even a return of appetite must not be indulged too freely 

 till recovery is assured, and exercise or work resumed. 



Indigestion. — Indigestion in the horse may be the result of inflamma- 

 tion of the stomach, but more frequently it is directly caused by irregular 

 feeding, and especially by the very long fasts to which this noble animal 

 is often, through culpable thoughtlessness, subjected to. 



There are but few men comparatively who either drive or ride who 

 would wilfully perpetrate the cruelty that is often thus practised except 

 from inconsiderateness, and all should remember that- 

 Ill is wrought by want of thought, 

 As well as want of heart. 



If the fact were constantly borne in mind that the horse has a very small 

 stomach, which must be often replenished to enable him to supply the 

 constant wants of his great frame, the waste of which must be constantly 

 rebuilt, the master would not forget the pint of oatmeal for the horse 

 when he called for his own biscuit and sherry; and in the hunting field, or 

 on long fatiguing journeys, a few biscuits carried in the pocket will prove 

 acceptable and valuable to the horse. 



These long fasts exhaust the horse so that on reaching the stable the 

 appetite, which hours ago was ravenous, has disappeared ; he ia too ex- 

 hausted to eat, and if he does the 3tomach fails in its work, and the food 

 continues to be passed in an undigested form. 



"When a horse after a journey refuses to eat, he may be roused by giving 

 the following drench : 



Drench for Stimulating Appetite— Compound spirit of sulphuric ether 

 loz., tincture of ginger Joz., and tincture of cardamoms l^oz., given in a 

 pint of gruel. 



In cases of indigestion the food must be studied— small mashes, clover, 

 roots, with bruised oats, split beans sparingly given, and good upland 

 hay. It is better to give the feeds often than allow a returning appetite 

 to gorge the stomach, therefore divide the four daily feeds into six, and a 

 small tablespoonful of the following cordial powder sprinkled over each 

 feed, and the whole slightly damped will coax the appetite, and aid diges- 

 tion : 



Cordial Powder.— Pimento berries, powdered, 4oz,, ground ginger 2oz. 

 ground carraways 4oz., powdered liquorice 2oz., common salt 4oz., mixed 

 carefully, and kept in a dry place. 



