300 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEK. 



Oct 



What is a Curb ? — Semedies. 



Editors Rural New-Yorker: — Will you please 

 infoim me through your columns what is the na- 

 ture of a Curb, or Curb Spavm, and the remedy, 

 and oblige— T. F. W,, Hall's Corners, New York, 

 1862. 



Those who believa in the doctrine of "com- 

 pensation," are always ready with the aphorism, 

 — there is no great loss without some gain — and 

 in the case before us the ♦' reverse" of this 

 maxim is equolly trite. Curb is one of the evils 

 almost exclusively belonging to the better class 

 of horses, A. man mounted upon a fine spirited 

 horse — whether he can lay claim to any skill in 

 equestrianism, or not — partakes of the spirit of 

 the animal, and deligats in " showing him off," 

 the " fiae points" are at once brought forth for 

 exhibition. The animal responds, and amid the 

 mutual excitement, the devoted servant bears the 

 greater share of suffering and injury. Mayhew, 

 in his celebrated work upon the horse, noticing 

 this characteristic, remarks : 



"Be it male or female, old or young, the 

 equestrian is always pleased by the prancing of 

 the horse. The creature seems to comprehend, 

 and to derive gratification from obeying the wish 

 of its superior. It enters into tha desire^ of its 

 dictator, without' a thought of prudence, or a 

 care for its personal safety. In hunting or in 

 racing, the simple horse more than shares the 

 excitement of its rider, and often encounters the 

 severest accidents inconsequence of these amuse- 

 ments." 



Curb may be reckoned among the least of the 

 sufferings of the horse, yet the mark of the affec 

 t on rarely disappears, and sometimes the ani- 

 mal is totally disabled thereby. The disease 

 consists of an enlargement, or bulging out at the 

 posterior of the hock, and is mainly caused by 

 wrenching the limb on uneven ground ; galloping 

 at full speed ; by prancing when mounted ; leap- 

 ing fences, ditches, etc. Horses following 

 hounds in the chase are peculiarly subject to 

 curb, and the authority already quoted states 

 that in the districts where packs are kept, 

 more of this disease is to be seen than in any 

 other part ot the country. 



. A certain class of veterinarians blister the in- 

 stant a curb appears, but most writers consider 

 the custom very injurious. Harm results in 

 every respect. Mayhew would put on a high- 

 heeled shoe immediately, and thus ease the over- 

 strained tendon. The part ought then to be con- 

 stantly wet with cold water, so as to lower or 

 disperse the inflamation. A cloth doubled two 

 or three times may be easily kept upon the hock, 

 and this cloth kept always moist. Continuing 

 this treatment, let the horse remain quiet in his 

 stall, being moved as little as possible until the 

 heat and swelling are diminished, and the leg 

 almost sound. When the part has become cool. 

 rub a blister all over the joint, and in the great 

 majority of cases this will end the treatment. 



The pvfictice of firing the hock for the removal 

 of a curb should never be resorted to, as the tes- 

 timony of our modern veterinarians is to the ef- 

 fect that they have never yet known of any good 



resulting therefrom. In addition to the agony 

 endured by the horse so' unfortunate as to be 

 submitted to this barbarism, the appearance of 

 the animal is ever after seriously affected. 



The form of treatment prescribed by Dr. Dadd 

 may be thus stated : 



The curb is an enlargement which makes its 

 appearance on the hind legs, about two inches 

 below the hock. It is sometimes occasioned by 

 a blow, but the most frequentt cause is strain of 

 the sheath through which the flexor tendons pass. 

 If seen in its early stage, it would, in all proba- 

 bility, yield to rest and cold water bandages. 

 But if neglected until effusion takes place, ov 

 the surrounding tissues become injected and 

 thickened, and the horse becomes lame, then a 

 different course of treatment must be adopted. 

 Our usual remedy is, acetic acid, four ounces ; 

 powdered bloodroot, one ounce ; turpentine one 

 ounce ; to be applied to the part night and morn- 

 ing for at least a week ; afterward to be bathed 

 daily with common vinegar. 



There are cases, however, in which coagulable 

 lymph will form, and may thus leave the parts 

 in a sta"e of callosity for some time, which only 

 patience, constant friction, or the application of 

 some stimulant can overcome. Amoug the var- 

 ious applications in use, we prefer the following: 

 One ounee each of oil of cedar, oil of sassafras, 

 oil of marjoram ; one pint of soft soap, to be 

 used daily, always rubbing in a downward direc- 

 tion. 



Hog Cholera. 



Friend Reed : — A stranger who looked as if 

 he should have been better employed, has been 

 in this part of the country lor some time, pedd- 

 ling — with obligotions to secresy — a so-called in- 

 fallible remedy for the prevailing epidemic among 

 our swme. Several of our farmers gave him to 

 understand that they coDsidered him dealing in 

 "small potatoes." He culled on Wm. Lewis, 

 whose hogs had just commenced dying, and waa 

 eager to do him the great service of saving his 

 " rooters." Lewis soon made him an offer for 

 his secret, but told him that he would do no such 

 silly thing as to prooiise not to tell anybody — 

 that whatever was a public benefit the public 

 ought to know, etc. After some hesitation, the 

 " Doctor" made a clean breast for the benefit of 

 the world, and all the rest of us. The remedy 

 is this: 



For fifty hogs, take half a bushel of slacked 

 lime, half a pound of copperas, and one handful 

 of common salt ; put them in a tight barrel, 

 cover with water, and mix in shelled corn ; when 

 thoroughly steeped, feed it to your stock of hogs 

 twice a week, and to those diseased twice a day. 

 We are trying it in our neck of tbe woods, and 

 apparently with success. Please tell your many 

 readers, and let them do as eeemeth them goad. 



Dudley. 



Eliza. Aug. 19th, 1862. 



{Aledo Record.) 



— Diamond dust is as poisonous as strychaine] 



