DISEASES OF THE OECANS OF PEEHENSION. 19 



mouth and throat in the horse is, however, sufficient to prove 

 that the horse cannot breathe through his mouth in drinking, 

 or in any other natural action of the organs situated in the 

 latter. The soft palate forms a complete partition between the 

 mouth and throat, and can only be elevated, or allow the pas- 

 sage of food or water backwards by compression, such as that 

 which occurs in swallowing. If there be any impediment to 

 respiration, we sometimes hear a loud roaring noise, produced 

 by the air rushing through the soft palate, and the animal 

 suffers considerably from such an unnatural act; thus afford- 

 ing proof that, in drinking, the pumping force is effected 

 within the mouth, and the soft palate is only disturbed in the 

 act of passing the fluid back into the gullet. So complete is 

 this partition, that if an animal suffering from inflamma- 

 tion of the throat, cannot swallow the water which it attempts 

 to drink, when pushed through the soft palate, it is poured back 

 through the nose. This is a valuable symptom of obstruction 

 in the throat, whether due to inflammation or other cause. 



DISEASES OF THE OEGANS OF PEEHENSION. I have already 

 furnished several examples of impediments to the natural 

 prehension of food, which materially affect the ease and health 

 of animals. So important are these diseases, that special 

 attention has been devoted to them at a very early period 

 of the history of our profession by its most distinguished 

 members. Amongst the most earnest writers is Toggia, a 

 Piedmontese veterinary surgeon in high repute towards the 

 close of last century. 



Having noticed in the preceding pages a condition of the 

 mouth, at the period of dentition, termed 'Lampas/ I have 

 now to refer to special diseases which may interfere with 

 gathering food. Two of these I shall treat of at length on 

 a future occasion; they are Glossanthrax or Blain, and Epi- 

 zootic Aphtha. 



