HIDE BOUND. 129 



There is one other point worthy of remark, in speaking 

 of hereditary diseases, which is that many animals, after 

 being poorly bred, have been badly fed and cared for; 

 whereas if good feeding and care, had been bestowed upon 

 them, it would have gone a long way in lessening the cer- 

 tainty of developing hereditary diseases in them, and 

 their offspring. This is every day being illustrated in the 

 femily of man. There are several rules laid down to be 

 observed as measures to prevent and modify condi- 

 tions which result in producing diseases of hereditary 

 predisposition. And there have been receipts, found in the 

 temple of ^sculapius, and said to be in the handwriting 

 of Hippocrates himself, for the purpose of mitigating the 

 hereditary conditions, which are so often seen in the human 

 family. Although these rules cannot, in all cases, be applied 

 to animals, nevertheless much can be done. The better 

 way will be to avoid breeding from diseased animals. So 

 long as like begets like, so long will we have hereditarj' 

 diseases among horses. 



Hide Bound, — This, properly speaking, is not a dis- 

 ease, but the symptom of a bad condition, " out of sorts," 

 debility, etc. 



Treatment. Feed in large bulk, mixed feed — cut hay, 

 corn meal, and bran in good proportion — with no more 

 water than will keep the particles together. Give the fol- 

 lowing powder in feed every night, for twelve nights : — 

 Powdered sulphate of iron, three drachms; powdered 

 gentian root, four drachms. Mix. If the animal is fat 

 and yet hide bound, substitute the following, instead of 

 that above recommended: Take sulphuret of antimony, 

 three drachms ; sulphur in flour, three drachms ; sulphite of 

 soda, half an ounce. Mix. and give in one dose, repeating 



