BREEDING HORSES. 
687 
“ Fatty heart, it must be remembered, is a disease which 
often kills by itself. A man drops down dead in the street, 
possibly, at some little mental emotion — an omnibus or 
something of the kind, runs against him ; he has had fatty 
heart. It is now a question whether the mere apprehension 
of an operation may assist as a cause of death. Chloroform 
should be used with caution at the extreme periods of life. 
In children I think it advisable to dilute the chloroform with 
equal parts of spirits of wine ; perhaps in very old people 
also it would be not undesirable to do the same ; we thus, 
perhaps, insure a good mixture of atmospheric air, and pre- 
vent the chloroform being too concentrated. Now as to 
treatment of those apparently dying from the effects of chlo- 
roform I have very little to say. Artificial respiration is the 
chief and primary object ; the surgeon has not a moment to 
spare ; and his own breath will be best. I would pull out 
the tongue, and thus throw up the opening of the larynx ; I 
have seen this effectual in two or three instances. The next 
most valuable agent will be galvanism, a sharp shock through 
the region of the heart; if any contractility happen to be 
left this will restore the circulation ; rubbing brandy to the 
palate and top of the larynx may also do good by exciting 
any reflex movements not permanently distinguished . 55 
ON BREEDING HORSES. 
The great and very general mistake committed by the 
farmer in the breeding of horses consists in thinking any 
shape or sort of animal, on the female side, “ good enough to 
breed from .’ 5 Accordingly we find young animals void of 
one single point of recommendation ; colours many, and most 
disagreeably marked, and every point of excellence wanting. 
Experience in breeding has not been able to fix the limits of 
excellence that -are conferred by the male and female re- 
spectively ; and in the absence of any certainty, we may very 
reasonably allow an equal share to each agent in the business 
of procreation. All the sensitive parts may be derived from 
the female, and the male may confer the robust qualities of 
organization. It may be safely asserted, notwithstanding 
the strong and very general prejudice against it, that the 
value of the progeny depends fully as much, if not more, on 
the dam than on the sire ; and that from the neglect of this 
maxim many failures and miscarriages have proceeded. An 
excellent kind of horse for farm purposes may be obtained by 
