LAMENESS, FROM VARLUUS CAUSES. 368 
‘This disease +s rarely ever heard of in England, probably from 
the fact that the food of horses is rich in phosphates and nitrogen, 
while corn contains more »f starchy matter, which, instead of fur- 
nishing material for the preparation of muscular or animal matter, 
merely furnishes that which is consumed in process of respiration. 
Treaiment.—The ordinary treatment, as practiced by some per- 
8013, is to bore into the jaw-hone, and inject the same with some 
conssive poison. Others expose the jaw-bone, and saw out a 
sect.on of the same. Some persons blister, or apply preparations 
of ivdine. Such treatment, I think, only tends to create unneces- 
sary irritation and pain, and can not possibly be of any benefit ; 
for { contend that the disease is not local, but constitutional, and 
the reader will probably, after perusing this dissertation, come to 
the same conclusion. The disease has extensive ramifications in 
various parts of the bony fabric, and, therefore, the local treatment 
must fail in curing the malady. Cases may arise which require 
surgical operations, and if so, I have no objections to offer. J 
have often been told that horses, after having all sorts of barbar- 
ities practiced on them, have recovered, This, so far as the treat- 
ment is concerned, is in accordance with the spirit of the old 
error, “ He got well after taking my medicine; therefore, in con- 
sequence of taking it.” This is assuming a falsehood for a fact 
and then giving fanciful reasons for it. 
In view both of prevention and cure of this organic disease of 
the boues and their articulations, more is to ke accomplished by 
regimen than by medicine. The animal should always be pro- 
vided with wholesome diet, and whenever green vegetables can be 
obtained, they should be fed liberally, or, what is much better, 
provided the season permits, allow the animal to roam in a pasture. 
Whenever I have a case of this kind under treatment, I furnish 
apples, beets, carrots, cabbage, or any other kind of vegetable that 
Tcan procure. I find that such articles are usually devoured with 
good relish. The object in feeding green food is to combat the 
scorbutic diathesis which usually exists. The patient should alsc 
be allowed from five to seven quarts of oats per day. 
When a horse with an enlargement of the lower or upper jaw 
is suddenly attacked with acute lameness, he should be placed in 
a wide stail, and the parts where the lameness appears to be lo- 
cated, as well as the jaws, should be diligently rfbbed, twice daily, 
with a portion of the following : 
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