THE PULSE 141 



no more. If it is required to ascertain the strength of 

 the flow of the blood, the artery must be pressed 

 against the jaw bone. The natural, healthy number 

 of beats or pulsations depends very much on the class 

 of horse which is being examined. For instance, a 

 cart-horse in a state of perfect health will average 

 about thirty-six to the minute ; whereas in the smaller 

 and better bred animal, the pulsations will give a 

 record of from forty to forty-two. This is what is 

 termed the ' standard pulse,' and varies but little in 

 horses of the same size. When the pulsations give a 

 return of fifty or fifty-five, it may be concluded that 

 fever is present, which if not checked in time will 

 increase. If the number of pulsations reach a hundred, 

 unless immediately reduced, death must ensue. Care- 

 less grooms often cause injury to horses which are 

 in a state of high fever by startling them instead of 

 approaching them quietly. 



After the pulse has been taken, and the examiner 

 has been some time by the horse, it is advisable that 

 a second examination should be made, for it is im- 

 possible to tell whether the presence of a new-comer 

 may have made the horse nervous, and thereby unduly 

 increased the action of the heart ; but, as a rule, the 

 horse, if so startled, soon quiets down, and enables a 

 correct conclusion to be formed. When the pulse is 

 hard and jerky the fever is at its height, and this is 

 also generally indicative that the fever proceeds from 

 inflammation of the bowels, in which case the services 

 of a veterinary surgeon should be speedily requisi- 

 tioned. For all ordinary purposes the foregoing will 

 be found sufficient ; but there are so many varieties of 

 pulse that it would be impossible to enter into detail 



