58 OBSERVATIONS IN 



more especially if lie has been caught in the rain when warm, for 

 water evaporates faster than sweat. 



A horse that has not freedom enough in the joints of the shoulders to 

 allow him to step freely forwards with his fore legs, and therefore puts 

 his foot to the ground before he has made his full step, which makes 

 him kick the earth, never goes down a hill but with difficulty. For his 

 step will be still shorter as his legs are thrown forwards with respect 

 to the line of body, in, order that they may be perpendicular with 

 respect to the body, by which means the centre of gravity is sup- 

 ported. 



As horses are commonly put to strong exertions, everything that 

 accelerates, retards, or in any degree influences those actions becomes 

 immediately an object to those who are concerned with this animal, 

 either as a matter of profit or amusement. Some horses when pretty 

 hard worked in any way, which always affects the breath, take to what 

 is called roaring, which is a sound in the chest near about where 

 we may suppose the bronchia open into the trachea. What the cause 

 of this is I do not know ; it does not seem to produce shortness of 

 breath, nor what is called ' broken- wind ;' nor does it obstruct their 

 actions ; it is only disagreeable to the ear. 



But a very remarkable circumstance attends this complaint, which is, 

 that a ' roarer' cannot be made to cough; the common modes cannot 

 excite coughing. Therefore when a horse cannot be made to cough, a 

 complaint of this kind is to be suspected. 



Of the effects that Medicines have upon Horses. 



Mr. Hayes 1 gave to a horse of his own, which had a locked jaw, 

 Dover's powders 5ij, Camphor grs. v: the horse sweated very much, 

 but died. Mr. Hayes was of opinion that if he had only given him 

 one drachm, it might have recovered him of his complaint. 



Dr. Ckadwick told me that he killed a horse in a few minutes by 

 giving a pound of Epsom salts, and that he could not in the least 

 accoimt for his death. This was certainly owing to the solution 

 either getting into the lungs, or stimulating the glottis so much as to 

 hinder anything from passing that way. 



I am informed by the farriers, who, when giving chinks to their horses, 

 are first obliged to raise up the horse's mouth so as to allow the, drink 

 to descend to the throat, that they are, in general, obliged to let his 



1 [Probably Mr. Hayes the Surgeon, who, conjointly with Hunter, gave an ac- 

 count of the dissection of the eyes of Miss C. Brushby, in the ' Medical Observations 

 ami Enquiries,' vol. hi. p. 120. 17G7. Pathological Preparations in Spirit, No. 2242.] 



