378 DISEASES OF BREATHING. 



as is made apparent by the behaving of the flanks ; the ribs being 

 comparatively little used for breathing by a broken-winded horse. 

 We may note that, when a healthy animal is at rest, there is only 

 one effort made in expelling air from the lungs ; for tranquil and 

 natural expiration is a passive act of elastic recoil. From exercise, 

 the difficulty of breathing increases out of all proportion to the 

 amount and nature of the work, and the duration of the act of 

 expiration is longer than that of inspiration ; the contrary of this 

 beinof the case in health. At the commencement of the attack 

 there is a spasmodic cough, which is more or le^ss intermittent. 

 Later on, it becomes a single weak, short, and suppressed cough, 

 as if the animal had not power in his chest to give a full one, and 

 is often accompanied by expulsion of wind from the anus, which 

 is more or less protruded. The difficulty of breathing (except at 

 first, when there are remissions) is constant, and increases in pro- 

 portion to the amount of food in the stomach and intestines. The 

 digestion and general health of animals affected are usually much 

 out of order. Broken wind may come on suddenly. 



CAUSES. — This disease appears to be generally brought on by 

 putting the animal to hard work when his stomach and intestines 

 are distended with food, or when he is suffering from diseases of the 

 organs of breathing ; or by neglect of such diseases. The consump- 

 tion of unsuitable food (such as chopped straw, hard and innutri- 

 tions hay, and over-ripe rye-grass), which is often regarded as the 

 exciting cause, has, in all probability, only a predisposing influence, 

 which is a remark that is undoubtedly true with respect to roaring 

 (p. 380). Writing about New Zealand, where this disease is not 

 uncommon among horses which are kept in the open, Mr. J. A. 

 Gilruth, M.R.C.V.S., Chief Veterinary Officer and Bacteriologist for 

 New Zealand, remarks (" Fifth Report of the Department of Agri- 

 culture," N.Z., 1897) : " No one, as far as I am aware, has produced 

 the desired condition experimentally by feeding. . . . In all cases 

 there was some history of a cold Avhich never seemed to leave or 

 become entirely absent, and as no rational attempt was ever made 

 to treat these cases when suffering from the cold, or even to house 

 them, it is no wonder that permanent lesions, such as pulmonary 

 emphysema, resulted." 



The predisposing influence of heredity is said to be well marked 

 in this disease. Some authorities assert that broken-winded mares 

 are almost always barren. 



TREATMENT. — As broken wind is incurable, the treatment can 

 only be palliative. Feed and water by small quantities at a time. 

 Give carrots. Substitute freshly-cut grass and lucerne for dry hay. 

 Bruise the corn and damp it, or, better still, mix through it, say, 



