286 STABLE MANUAL AND HORSE DOCTOR 



best tonic is nourishing food ; and even that should be 

 supplied with caution. Green meat will in these cases be 

 useful. If the weather, however, will admit of it, a run 

 for two or three hours every day will be of essential benefit. 



RABIES, OR HYDROPHOBIA. 



The symptoms of rabies in the horse are the only impor- 

 tant points in the present state of veterinary knowledge. 

 Curative means are unknown. It is never spontaneously 

 developed in the horse, but induced by the bite of a rabid 

 dog. Mr. Youatb says : " The earliest and most decisive 

 symptom of the near approach of rabies in the horse is a 

 peculiar spasmodic movement of the upper lips, and parti- 

 cularly 01 the angles of those lips." Close following this is 

 a depressed and anxious countenance, and an inquiring gaze, 

 suddenly lighting up, and becoming fierce and menacing at 

 a slight noise, or the approach of a stranger. Then comes 

 an irrepressible desire to attack and bite at any person or 

 animal within reach of the teeth. Then comes an almost 

 systematic demolition of rack, manger, and stable fittings ; 

 and the poor wretch lies snorting and foaming amidst the 

 ruins, paralysis of the hinder extremities incapacitating 

 him from further mischief by kicking and plunging. The 

 disease proves fatal in from three to six days. When the 

 bite of the rabid dog is early known of, and can be found, 

 of course, thorough cutting out, and the actual cautery, will 

 save the animal. Mr. Spooner relates several cases of this. 

 When, however, rabies has developed itself, treatment is 

 useless ; and humanity dictates that the animal should be 

 destroyed without delay. 



STRINGHALT. 



This spasmodic contraction of some one or more of the 

 flexors of the hinder leg, is, like most nervous disorders, of 

 obscure origin. It is seldom seen in the fore leg, though 

 an instance is now under our own observation. It is not a 

 lameness, as the other leg does not sink, and the rider 

 cannot feel it as he does the " dropping " in hock disease. 

 The animal is useless as a racer, as he cannot control the 

 voluntary nerves for a start till he has gone through his 

 preliminary jerks and whippings-up of his leg. It is not 



