ROARING. 
199 
ROARING. 
By A. J. Owles, Y.S., Carabineers. 
Dear Sir, — As I have read and heard a great deal about 
roaring of late, and have seen, through the kindness of the 
Messrs. Shutur, Veterinary Surgeons, Ipswich, a case of 
wasting of all the muscles attached to the arytenoid cartilage 
of the left side, I will write you a plain statement of the ap- 
pearances the different muscles there presented, when exposed: 
since I know you seek for the cause and nature of all diseases, 
to give the public the benefit of your experience and know- 
ledge. I send the account of the case for your consideration. 
We have still to learn the first cause of roaring, as the wasting 
of the muscles can only be the effect. In these cases of de- 
rangement of nervous influence, we must try and discover 
the seat and nature of the derangement of the nerves sup- 
plying the muscles of the larynx. 
This horse was not a very bad roarer, until within a few 
months of his death, and was destroyed for another disease. 
He was well bred, and about eleven years old. The muscles 
were affected as follows : — The crico-arytenoideus posticus, 
wasted and pale ; crico-arytenoideus lateralis, so much wasted 
that but few fibres remained, presenting the appearance of 
muscular fibre ; the thyro-arytenoideus much wasted ; and 
the arytenoideus appeared to be quite gone ; scarcely a trace 
remained, though the crico-thyroid muscle on the same side 
was quite healthy, and as well developed as the corresponding- 
muscle of the opposite side of the larynx. We know the last 
muscle derives its nerves from a different branch from the 
other muscles which were wasted; viz., from the superior 
laryngeal, entirely ; whereas, the four wasted muscles derive 
their nerves, principally, from the recurrent or inferior laryn- 
geal nerve ; from which it would appear that the recurrent 
nerve, in some cases at least, is the seat of diseased function, 
which terminates in roaring, from atrophia of the muscles of 
the larynx. 
Believe me, dear Sir, 
Yours truly. 
Ipswich, March 1 , 1853 . 
