196 
T. W. WATSON. 
exactly balanced, upon perfectly proportioned limbs, and other 
essentials being present, such as blood elements and development, 
he can perform his duties, be they that of the diaft- or the race¬ 
horse, with greater effect than if the mechanism was out of 
balance. Therefore to breed the natural born, actual trotter 
with the most certainty and the best results, combine the true 
and tried, genuine producers of such, and this principle holds 
good in all breeding. 
In the future, when a more accurate science is applied to 
breeding the trotting horse than merely the intensification of 
his trotting blood, and physiological perfection receives its ade¬ 
quate attention, defective construction of shoulder and hip, of 
elbow and stifle, will be so far remedied by judicious breeding of 
perfect specimens that there will be neither splay-footed, nor 
pigeon-toed performers on the trotting turf. Physiologically, 
much more than in trotting potency, the perfect American trotter 
is in the distant future as a type. 
EQUINE RELAPSING FEVER. 
By T. W. Watson, • V.S., Chippewa Falls, Wis. 
A Paper read before the Wisconsin Association of Veterinary Graduates. 
Called by Professor Robertson “ surra,” or equine relapsing 
fever, I have adopted the latter, as I think it better represents 
the general character of the disease. An enzootic disease 
peculiar to the horse, of which but little is known and but very 
little can be found in veterinary literature regarding this disease. 
The only account I have seen of it is given by Robertson, and is 
very indefinite. It first made its appearance in the vicinity of 
Eau Claire about seven or eight years ago, and has continued 
irregularly almost ever since, within a radius of about a hundred 
miles, very seldom, if ever, appearing where only a few horses 
are kept together, generally attacking large herds. The mor¬ 
tality has been very great from this malady ; I think fully ninety 
per cent, of the cases prove fatal. 
