554 NERVOUS DISEASES. 



TREATMENT.— Of this little can be said, except that all sorts 

 of remedies, both likely and unlikely, have been tried, chiefly by 

 "unskilled hands, with about an equal amount of success. A change 

 of locality, especially if a dry, well-sheltered paddock is chosen, 

 and the warm, summer weather seem to hasten recovery, which 

 is invariably tardy under all circumstances. Some good has been 

 thought to have been done by applying pitch plasters and blisters 

 etc., along the back, and by the internal use of salts of soda and 

 potash, colchicum, nux vomica, and various other drugs, and by 

 repeated physicking, warm clothing, etc. ; but it seems doubtful 

 whether the cases that have been so treated, would not have 

 recovered quite as soon if they had been left to themselves, as 

 they almost invariably do in the first two forms of the disease. In 

 the third form it is necessary to tend and nurse the sick animals, 

 and to use slings when they are unable to rise from the ground. 

 When this is done in the early stages, and the animals are fed on 

 good nourishing food, they are soon out of danger, and recovery, 

 though slow, is pretty certain. 



Blistering the fetlock joints seems to have had a beneficial effect 

 in a few cases where it has been tried. 



Crib-biting and Windsucking. 



DEFINITION. — Cribbing and windsucking are two forms of 

 the same vice, in the practice of which, the horse, while standing 

 still, draws air into his mouth, makes a convulsive effort to swallow 

 it, and then, generally, emits a guttural noise. If, for the 

 exercise of this habit, he needs the support of some fixed object, 

 he is said to be a crib-biter. If he does not require it, he is 

 called a windsucker. In a few confirmed cases, the animal will 

 crib, if a suitable support be present; but if it be absent, he will 

 windsuck. Although the change at present might be too much 

 opposed to long-established custom to warrant its adoption; I 

 suggest for future consideration, " air-swallowing " as a generaJ 

 term, and would call cribbing " air-swallowing with support," and 

 windsucking, " air-swallowing without support." 



METHODS OF PRACTISING THE, VICE.— The cribber selects 

 his object of support at such a height from the ground that, while 

 using it and standing up, he will be able to draw in his chin to- 

 wards his breast and arch his neck. The supporting object will 

 therefore never be on the level of the ground or placed high up ; 

 for to reach it in either of these positions, he would have to stretch 

 out his head and neck. I have never heard of a case of a horse 

 cribbing or windsucking while lying down. The cribber, when 



