DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE. 181 



•ttt af the twenty-four died of lockjaw. This shows you th* 

 ■•cessity of having the operation done in fine weather and the colt 

 kept away from damp places. The disease is noticed to come on 

 just about the time the colt is healed up, the same as in other 

 wounds. 



Symptoms. — There is not much difficulty in telling- a case of 

 this kind. At first there is a peculiar stiffness of the body, and 

 he walks with his neck high and his head stuck out as if he. was 

 suffering from sore throat, he has a peculiarly high action, and if 

 he is on pasture he cannot get his head down to eat, except in a 

 very mild case of the disease. The horse, in most cases, will try 

 to eat if he can, especially at the commencement of the disease. 

 If you walk up to him and suddenly excite him he will almost 

 groan, as if in pain, his head will fly up and the haw of the eye 

 will fly over the eye so that you can hardly see it. When he is 

 excited his tail will raise up and the muscles all over his body 

 seem hard, drawn and set, and the animal will almost fall down. 

 In a case of this kind examine the mouth and you will find that ii 

 can only be opened a little. If it is a severe case these symptoms 

 will gradually grow worse, and in a few days he will get off his 

 feet and will be unable to raise them ; he will have fits of severe 

 struggling and be in terrible agony, and the only thing that gives 

 him relief is death, which soon comes. 



Treatment. — In a very light case of the disease, if in the 



spring and the animal is able to get down and eat grass, it is best 



to leave him out in a level pasture field where there is nothing to 



disturb him. In a case of this kind do not go near him to give 



him medicine, but watch him to see that nothing turns up that 



you are not expecting, because catching a wild colt in the pa.sture 



to give him medicine would only excite him so much that it would 



do more harm than good. There has been all kinds of treatment 



tried for this disease, but the best is to give the animal, as soon 



AS noticed, a dose of physic consisting of 



Bitter Aloes 8 drams. 



Common Soda 1 tablespoonful. 



Ginger. 1 " 



Sweet Spirits of Nitre 1 ounce or 4 tablespoonfuls. 



Mix in a pint of luke warm water and give as a drench, being 



careful not to excite the animal much while giving it to him. In 



case it is caused from a nail in the foot, pare the hole out well 



wher* the nail went in and p<aultice with hot linseed poultices, 



