20 VETERINARY HOMCEOPATHY. 



slaking thirst without diluting or interfering with the normal 

 digestive secretions of the stomach which begin to pour out 

 so soon as masticated food enters the organ and hence the process 

 of digestion, can go on without interruption, and the assimula- 

 tion of the alimentary material in its physiologically natural con- 

 dition will take place; if water is given after feeding, while the 

 process of digestion is going on in the stomach, the natural diges- 

 tive fluids are diluted, they cannot act in this state upon the 

 alimentary material and digestion is arrested until the fluid has 

 passed on to its proper locality, the Caecum, still further argu- 

 ments, might easily be adduced in favor of allowing a hard 

 worked horse to drink before he is allowed to eat, and in 

 the cases of horses such as hunters which have probably been called 

 upon for the exercise of great exertion, and have been hours 

 without any food, it would be a safe course to allow at least a 

 quarter of an hour to elapse after letting them drink before giving 

 food of any sort, and even then not more than a handful or two 

 of long hay while they are being cleaned and dressed, after which 

 the circulation will have assumed its normal pressure and the 

 stomach will be prepared to receive the food and perform its 

 natural functions. 



The object of this chapter has been to merely touch upon the 

 main points affecting the sanitary conditions which have a baneful 

 influence on horses of all classes, and not to attempt to deal with 

 the subject in extenso; it is intended to serve as a sort of warning 

 to owners against some of the dangers they have to provide against; 

 to deal with hygiene comprehensively would entail a much longer 

 chapter than the limits of this will provide, therefore the reader 

 must please understand that no attempt has been made to deal 

 with this important subject in an exhaustive manner. 



