443 
Foreign Department. 
CONSIDERATIONS ON CRIB-BITING, WITH ERUCTATION. 
By M. E. Fischer, Veterinarian at Cessingen-lez-Luxembourgh. 
Although the anormal action with horses known under the 
appellation of crib-biting is so frequently observed, it is still 
one far from being sufficiently understood. Many of our 
best Veterinary authors have furnished dissertations on the 
subject, but these present great variety of opinion touching 
the causes, seat, nature, and consequences of crib-biting. 
Whilst one contends that, in the act, the horse swallows atmos- 
pheric air, another pretends that the animal ejects air, which 
act is accompanied with a particular noise, created by gas gene- 
rated in the stomach. Some say that the habit is injurious to 
horses who practise it, and that it frequently renders them 
valueless ; while others maintain that it nowise materially 
hurts them. The court (of appeal) has pronounced in favour 
of its innocuousness. 
By this we are led to distinguish crib-biting into that which 
is acquired by habit, habitual ; and that which is properly so 
called, and which is spontaneous. 
The opinion which regards crib-biting, as discharging air 
from the stomach, similar to belching in ourselves, is evidently 
an erroneous one, since it implies that the act is one of absolute 
necessity. Now, it is well known that by various means we have 
it in our power, in some horses, to prevent crib-biting for 
a longer or shorter time ; but in doing this we never hear of any 
evil consequences arising from its suppression. Indeed, if such 
were true, horses ought to blow themselves out with the gas, 
which, instead of eructating, they are now compelled to retain. 
And moreover, did crib-biting consist in eructation, gas might 
make its escape through the nose, and then the animal would 
have no occasion for that violent movement which characterises 
crib-biting. 
To those who pretend that crib-biting consists in swallow- 
ing atmospheric air, in order to aid the digestion of horses 
infested with the vice, I reply, without entering into any 
physiological considerations, that if by any means the crib- 
biting be put a stop to, for several months together, the horse 
digests quite as well without as with the vice : of this I have 
often had occasion to convince myself. 
The explication given by M. the Professor Gurlt, of crib- 
