610 
EDITORIAL. 
do something to relieve a horse of his bad habit of pulling. 
Having examined the animal’s mouth he observed that the 
anterior borders of the first two lower molars were worn and 
notchy; he thought then to smooth them, and to file the upper 
and lower teeth in such an oblique direction that they would not 
touch each other by their front part, but form a V shape, with 
the base turned forward, the apex backwards. In the attempt 
the rubbing surface of the first and second molars of both jaws 
were thus filed and the contact between the teeth took place 
only from the third molar back. The result was more than 
satisfactory. The horse stopped pulling. Prof. Ryder applied 
this to other horses, who always obtained relief. 
The result thus derived, though probably not answering all 
cases of pulling horses, is one that we believe is generally un¬ 
known to our colleagues at large, and which it is to be regretted 
Dr. Ryder omitted to have made known before this. 
A question, however, has presented itself as a consequence of 
the operation, which is peculiar, and that is whether or not an 
animal thus operated upon can be considered as unworthy a 
clean certificate of soundness at the tune of purchase. The 
mouth has been tampered with, the operation has for its object 
to conceal a bad habit, it deceives the purchaser, or at least has 
a tendency to deceive him, are the reasons invoked for an 
affirmative answer. It seems to us that the refusal of a certifi¬ 
cate of soundness on that condition is at least an exaggeration 
on the part of the surgeon who makes the refusal, and that the 
letter and the spirit of the law do not justify it. An animal 
whose long teeth have been shortened to make it appear younger 
to the careless observer is not considered unsound for that rea¬ 
son ; one whose teeth have been bishopped to conceal his age is 
not rejected as unsound ; one whose molars have been nipped, 
cut, or filed because of their irregularity and length, which pre¬ 
vents him from chewing, is not refused the certificate demanded 
by a purchaser, and yet their teeth have been tampered with, 
just as much as when filed to prevent his pulling, with the ex¬ 
ception that the essential condition of his usefulness has been 
