22 Roaring in Horses. 



but not many ; in fact, the disease is not common in the 

 Service — indeed, it is very uncommon. Amongst race- 

 horses of all breeds, the affection is, I believe, much more 

 prevalent, but I have very little experience of this class of 

 horse. Acute diseases of the respiratory organs do not 

 prevail in India, owing, probably, to horses being kept in 

 open stables. I except, of course, Strangles in young horses ; 

 and this disease, one would think, would be the most likely 

 to end in Roaring. It does not, however, do so ; and the 

 fact that the race-horses form the class mostly affected, 

 would seem to point to excessive exertion as the main 

 cause." 



Inspecting Veterinary Surgeon J. J. Meyrick, C.B., also 

 supplies the following information with regard to India : 

 " I believe that in eastern countries, as a rule, Roaring is 

 very uncommon. During twelve years' Indian service, I 

 met with only one case that I can remember, but it was a 

 very bad one. The animal, a remarkably well-shaped Aus- 

 tralian horse, had been imported only a short time, and was 

 found to be a Roarer immediately after joining a battery 

 of which I was in charge. Whilst looking after various 

 batteries of artillery, regiments of cavalry, and Government 

 studs, as well as while superintending the horse-breeding 

 operations of the Punjab, I had to inspect stud-bred and 

 country-bred horses in tens of thousands, Australians, and 

 a few scores of horses from Cabul and Central Asia, besides 

 many hundreds of Arabs and Persians. Among all these, 

 as before remarked, I never met with a Roarer except the 

 Australian. It is, of course, just possible that some might 

 have been affected, but so slightly as not to attract the 

 attention of the officer in charge of them. ... I never met 

 with a case of hereditary Roaring in India, there being no 

 Roarers among either the stallions or brood mares of the 

 studs to which I was attached. I should add that I have 

 only served in the Bengal Presidency, but I have been in 

 every part of it, from Calcutta to Peshawar. Mr. Steel 



