INTRODUCTION. ix 



Most diseases arise from causes which are evident, and 

 within our power to prevent. In the wild state the horse 

 enjoys almost perfect immunity from disease : it is only 

 when subjected to the abuses consequent on domestication 

 that we find disease in all its varied forms attacking his noble 

 frame and breaking down his iron constitution. 



The most common fqrms of disease met with in Canadian 

 horses are connected with the progressive organs — the limbs 

 and feet. Lameness constitutes the principal part of veter- 

 inary practice in this province, and is therefore deserving our 

 particular attention, and as the foot is very frequently the 

 seat of injury, we have devoted a chapter to that subject. 



Most of the acute diseases of the digestive organs arise 

 from injudicious feeding, both as regards quantity and quality 

 of the food. Diseases of the respiratory organs are produced 

 by undue exposure, improper ventilation, sudden transition 

 from cold to heat and from heat to cold. Many diseases are 

 hereditary, and traceable from parent to progeny, thus ring- 

 bone, spavin, navicular disease, specific opthalmia, &c., are 

 well known to be hereditary, consequently no horse or mare 

 suffering from these diseases should be used for breeding 

 purposes. In the text we have been careful to enumerate 

 the causes of the diseases as we take them up, so as to enable 

 the owners of horses to avoid them, and thus save themselves 

 from loss, and their horses from suffering. Much could be 

 said on the important subjects of ventilation, feeding, exer- 

 cise, &c. ; but our limited space prevents us entering on 

 them. 



To many our systematic arrangement of diseases into 

 nature, causes, 'symptoms, and treatment, may appear too 



