472 
DR. BYRNE. 
comes more or less hide-bound. The manure has not the natural 
appearance; at one time it is dark, and at another light colored, 
and has a very offensive smell. It is usually voided in small 
hard glazed balls, and if examined, will be found to consist of 
chopped hay and imperfectly chewed or chomped oats. In the 
stable this is the usual state of the feeces, but in his weak state 
the horse is easily excited when at work, and purging is the con¬ 
sequence. The urine is also scanty and high colored. 
The ordinary seat, particularly of chronic indigestion, is the 
mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, and the disease 
may be defined to consist of a congested state of the blood vessels 
of that membrane; there is, consequently, a want of the proper 
secretions, and constipation is the result. This torpid, or abnor¬ 
mal state may be produced by many causes, such as irregularity 
in the quality and quantity of the food, imperfect mastication of 
food in consequence of diseased or irregular teeth, or from greedy 
or ravenous feeding, long fasting from food and water, cribbing 
and quidding from irregularity in the teeth, or bots, previous 
attacks of acute indigestion, or irregular exercise, disease of the 
liver, etc. These are among the principal causes of indigestion 
in the horse. 
There are few animals in their natural state, that are supposed 
to spend more of their time in feeding than he does; and the 
fact that he has no biliary receptacle, proves the necessity of his 
doing so, and ought to teach a lesson to all those who are inter¬ 
ested in his well-being, to copy the dictates of nature by feeding 
him frequently. 
A long fast renders a horse voracious, like the natural greedy 
feeder ; his food is bolted without sustaining that thorough grind¬ 
ing with the teeth so essential to a healthy system. If allowed, 
he will sometimes overgorge himself with an indigestible mass to 
such an extent as to bring about the partial or entire suspension 
of the movement and secreting power of the stomach, and thus 
put his life in serious danger from fermentation and rupture. 
Wheat or green food is most likely to produce this effect, and 
especially so, if he be put to severe work immediately, or very 
soon after feeding. New oats or new hay will also produce it; 
