FOOD 155 



It is the nervous system which suffers before the 

 muscular in acute cases of starvation or semi-starvation ; 

 there is languor and extreme muscular weakness some time 

 before the muscles show any serious reduction in bulk; 

 but when presently both the stored up fat and muscles are 

 being utilized for the body requirements, the loss of condi- 

 tion is very rapid, the animal ' melts away,' and if this be 

 continued for many days — the number varying entirely 

 with the previous state of health or condition— the horse is 

 reduced to a pitiable plight, haggard, worn, anxious expres- 

 sion, 'tucked up,' so weak that he can almost be pushed 

 over with the hand, and the prostration so great that 

 should he fall he has not the strength to rise. 

 . It is only in military service, and in time of war, when 

 the condition described is likely to be met. It is not 

 necessary that all cases of semi-starvation should be 

 associated with such urgent and rapid symptoms. It is 

 entirely a question of the amount of work the animal is 

 called upon to perform on insufficient food. The loss of 

 flesh may be gradual, to the untrained eye at first imper- 

 ceptible, but as this continues there is a gradual look of 

 unthriftiness, a harsh feel of the skin, the fasces become 

 small and very often hard, the muscles of the quarters, 

 neck, and shoulders waste, the abdomen ' tucked up,' and 

 later on the haggard expression of countenance. 



When horses are suffering from a general deficiency of 

 food, there are certain diseases which very early claim them, 

 viz., glanders or farcy, and mange. The system possesses 

 no powers of resistance, and these diseases are then capable 

 of spreading with remarkable rapidity. Just as the 

 organism of anthrax prefers and seems to select out the fat 

 horse, so that of glanders and mange prefers the poor and 

 debilitated one. 



It is a point of great practical importance to understand 

 the feeding of horses which have got low in condition. To 

 cram them with nitrogenous food is a grave error. Grain 

 passes away undigested, and only acts as an irritant : the 

 diet should, if possible, be grass, the natural food of the 



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