SPASMS OF THE MUSCLES OF THE EPIGLOTTIS. 
551 
a low position, the muscles and membranes in passing over the 
trachea (as they do when a horse changes the position of his head) 
would not pull it out of the opening cut in the trachea, so I was 
compelled to leave it out. At this writing the opening cut in the 
neck has entirely healed up, but he still has spasms. I feel con¬ 
fident that if I could get a tube that could be kept in, this alone 
would effect a cure. 
In addition to symptoms heretofore stated, they most gener¬ 
ally cough while drinking water; it prevents them from neighing 
even if they are not in a spasm, and the least excitement or exer¬ 
tion of any kind is apt to cause a spasm. 
This disease does not affect their appetite in the least; they 
will remain in good flesh, or if thin, when stabled, they will get 
fat if fed plenty. They always seem to feel well except when in 
a spasm, and I have seen them cause a spasm by playing in their 
paddocks. It is not contagious, as the horses that have had it 
have not been running together, and the mares and gelding that 
have been running with them have not shown any signs of the 
disease. 
There are various kinds of acid poisons that would cause spas¬ 
modic action of the muscles of the epiglottis ; but this could not 
be the cause, because even if there is any weed that they would 
eat that contained these poisons, it does not seem probable that 
only the stallions would eat it, and then it will be remembered 
that one of these stallions never ran on the range. The altitude 
where these horses ranged is about 8,000 feet above sea level; but 
I cannot see why the high altitude should affect the stallions and 
not the mares, as most of the mares came from Texas and two of 
the stallions that died were Colorado range-raised horses. 
It will be seen by the above that I am entirely ignorant of 
the cause of this terrible disease which locates itself in the most 
valuable horses of our herds, and most generally carries them 
away in a very short time. I have not known of another case in 
Garfield County, or in fact in the State of Colorado, or the Ter¬ 
ritory of Utah, ^heve I have been interested in the horse busi¬ 
ness. I have tried several different kinds of anti-spasmodic lini¬ 
ments and medicines, but to no good effect, and the only relief I 
