212 COMPENDIUM OF THE VETERINARY ART. 



groe of vigour and genera] healthiness of ap- 

 pearance which constitute good condition, it 

 is necessary that these orcrans should be in a 

 state of health, and that no impediment should 

 exist to the performance of their functions. 

 This, however, sometmies happens ; we shall 

 therefore proceed to show the various imper- 

 fections which tend to prevent a horse from 

 acquiring condition. \ 



1st. Tender neas in the mouthy preventing 

 the horse from mast icat in'^ f recti/. — It some- 

 times happens that the molar teeth or grinders 

 wear soirreguhu-ly, as to have sharp edges, by 

 which the inside of the cheek is wounded : 

 the pain which the'act of chewing occasions in 

 this case induces the horse to swallow some 

 pirt of his food unbroken, which, being diffi- 

 cult of digestion, frequently passes through 

 the body unchanged. This defect is parti- 

 cularly inconvenient in horses that are sepa- 

 rated from others by bails oidy*; as in bar- 

 racks their more active neighbours have an 

 opportunity of sharing their allowance. This 

 complaint may be removed by rasping down 

 the sharp edges of the teeth, for which pur- 



* See further remarks on bails in the subsequent sectioa, " Tht 

 Stable." 



