DISEASE OE OSSEOUS TISSUE IN THE HORSE. 
575 
Calcot, Reading; 
16M Jan I860. 
Dear Sir,—I will answer your questions as correctly as my memory 
serves me. 
1st. Some of the horses died after the disease had shown itself for about 
two months, but generally they were ill for six months, and in some cases 
more than this. 
2d. The horses have had quite as much exercise as the mares. 
3d. The two farms are about two miles apart. 
4th. There are no factories or chemical works in the neighbourhood. 
I remain, dear sir, yours truly, 
G. Yarn ell, Esq. 
W. W. Champion. 
With a view, however, of obtaining still further informa¬ 
tion on this interesting subject, I wrote again to Mr. Cham¬ 
pion, to the following effect:— 
Royal Veterinary College; 
Jan. 18 thy 1860. 
Dear Sir, —Being desirous of investigating the disease under which your 
cart-horses have laboured, and also the causes which gave rise to it, I have 
taken the liberty of drawing up a few questions for your consideration ; and 
if you will kindly furnish me with answers to them, however brief they may 
be, I shall esteem it a very great favour. 
I am, dear sir, &c. 
George Varnell. 
W. W. Champion, Esq. 
Questions. 
No. 1. What was the age of each 
horse affected with this singular dis¬ 
ease at the time he came into your 
possession ? 
No. 2. Are you aware whether 
either the dam or sire of any of the 
horses had been subject to any spe¬ 
cial disease ? 
No. 3. How had the horses been 
fed, from the time they were weaned 
up to the period of t heir being taken 
ill? 
No. 4. Was the food the mares 
ate of the same kind as that given 
Answers. 
No. 1. The brown horse you have 
at the College was bought at two 
years old; all the others were bred 
by me. 
No. 2. None whatever, that I am 
aware of. 
The horses were by three different 
sires, out of four mares, three of 
which were not related to each other 
in any way. 
No. 3. With grass, hay, pollard, 
and a little oatmeal at first, and when 
the grass was finished, with roots of 
different kinds. 
The second year the animals were 
turned out to grass, and wintered as 
before. The third year they were 
taken into the stable, and fed on hay, 
pollard, and a few roots. In the suc¬ 
ceeding summer they had green food, 
such as rye-grass, vetches, &c. 
No. 4. Although the mares were 
in foal, they were worked and kepi 
