CAEE AND MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 793 



duce ossific deposits on the knees and hocks, falling off of 

 the hair, and general emaciation ; it is known locally as 

 ' copper smoke disease." 



VICES OF WOEKING HOESES. 



Panic. — There is no animal more liable to panic than 

 the horse ; when a large number are brought together, as 

 in the army, it is extraordinary how easily they may 

 be frightened, any unusual noise, such as men suddenly 

 cheering, may provoke a stampede ; a thunderstorm is a 

 common cause, but even a slight sound, such as a pistol 

 shot or rifle fire, especially at night, may produce a catas- 

 trophe. Sometimes no cause for alarm can be assigned. 



Whatever it may be, the effect on the mass is electrical ; 

 so concerted is their action and their determination to 

 break away, that it could not be more thoroughly carried 

 out if a meeting had previously been held and a stampede 

 determined on. The animals are quite unmanageable and 

 apparently not responsible for their action ; they will run 

 into obstructions the nature of which they are perfectly 

 acquainted with, masses will try to pass through narrow 

 openings, and in their state of fright they will even gallop 

 into water, a thing no horse in his senses would ever 

 attempt to do. 



There are always one or more leaders who give the 

 direction and the pace, and for some time the whole mass 

 keep together; finally they break up into groups, again 

 under a leader, and will travel immense distances before 

 fatigue compels them to slow down and eventually halt. 



In the first mad rush they may do considerable damage 

 to themselves and perhaps to the men ; they do not hesitate 

 to gallop through tents and over men lying on the ground. 

 Fractures of the limbs, spine, and skull are frequent; 

 wounds numerous, while as the result of galloping the 

 pectoral muscles may be found so swollen, that the fol- 

 lowing day many are scarcely able to advance one leg in 

 front of the other. 



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