MOLASSES AS A FOOD FOR ARMY HORSES. 
K97 
terfere with the regular work, with the understanding, however, 
that no food should be offered while absent from the stable. In 
addition to this all of the horses were given a swim in the sea 
every Sunday afternoon for about half an hour with the object 
in view of washing off any molasses sticking to the coat. 
Grooming was only indulged in once a day, and that about four 
in the evening. 
On April 18th No. 3 stumbled on a stone and strained the 
superficial flexor of the off fore, necessitating his remaining in 
the stable for seven days; during this time he gained 12 pounds 
in weight. 
On April 29th a barrel of fermenting molasses was delivered 
in the evening ; on the morning of the 30th this molasses was 
fed at the regular time. As the customary monthly muster 
was to be held at seven o’clock, the usual work was postponed 
until later and all of the horses turned out for this function ; 
they behaved in a most scandalous manner, breaking up the 
ranks, smashing up things at the reviewing point and even dis¬ 
mounted the saddler sergeant, who was an expert horseman. 
Query: had the fermenting molasses anything to do with it? 
Commencing with February 5th it was noticed that the 
faeces were becoming quite dry and that the animals had diffi¬ 
culty in defecating ; to correct this we had to give a little bran on 
the 1 ith, which was partaken of greedily; it had the desired effect, 
and had to be repeated on an average of every two weeks. 
It was noticed in Porto Rico that the young horses were 
those that kept the sick report full all of the time, while horses 
of seven and over were seldom reported, the trouble was usually 
of a digestive nature, with its consequent “ out of condition ” 
scratches, skin abrasions, etc. Four of these cases were chronic 
sick report horses and could not be braced with the usual drugs 
except for a few days. On February 3d all of them were sud¬ 
denly deprived of their grain and hay and put on a ration of 
six pounds of molasses and twenty pounds of green grass daily ; 
they refused the molasses for two days, but hunger being a fine 
stimulant to the appetite, on the morning of the 6th we were 
