604 
CARE OF THE TROOE HORSE. 
I use tail-bags made of rough canvas for bad cases. Green food, 
especially lucerne grass, is supposed by many to aggravate this disease 
and to bring it out. I cannot say, personally, that I have found much 
difference or benefit from feeding entirely on dry food, though I have 
heard doctors say that salads, and especially lettuce, often produce 
rashes and heat spots. 
(S^nptoma If cases of sickness be detected and treated at once, what would in 
o ic ness. a f ew days, if neglected, be bad cases, may often be checked and cured 
very quickly; it should be impressed on every one to report at once 
all cases of dullness, horses off their feed, colds, and similar small 
ailments. 
If a horse be sluggish and dull in the field, or off its feed in stables, 
it is probably sickening for something; a good man will find out very 
quickly if his horse be dull, will ride him quietly and report to his 
superiors at once, but how often, from want of teaching, do soldiers, 
when they find their horses dull and off, spur them the more, bring 
them in and tie them up, and think or say nothing about it. 
The great difficulty in diagnosing a horse's ailment is that, as he 
cannot speak and tell us where he feels the pain or how he feels, we 
have nothing to go on but outward visible symptoms and his temperature. 
There are, however, certain symptoms and guid )s to sickness that 
all can notice, and that require no talent to learn. 
The temperature of the mouth will give you a certain sign of fever 
or inflammation; with but little experience or practice, by placing his 
fingers in his horse's mouth, every man can learn to detect any increase 
of heat or change of temperature. Increase of heat denotes fever of 
some sort, or inflammation. 
The mucous membrane : the lining of the nostrils, lips, and inside of 
the eyelids, is also a certain guide. Any extra redness or change of 
colouring denotes that something is amiss; if yellow, biliousness or 
liver out of order; if white, want of tone or weakness; if red and 
inflamed, fever, cold or inflammation of some sort. 
The white of the eyes will show liver symptoms also by assuming a 
yellow tinge. 
The urine, by its colour, also helps you to know if anything be wrong; 
the droppings of a horse should be solid and friable, not slimy, and 
should have no offensive smell when in health, though, when fed on some 
foods, Indian corn for one, this is not always the case. 
Colds and Coughs, colds, and sore throats of course show themselves, these 
sore throats, everything should be taken in time, two or three days rest and 
soft food, steaming the head well with hot hay in a nose-bag, two or 
three times a day, will often check a cold coming on. A little mustard 
and water about as thick as bran, rubbed into the throat and gullet 
well, and then washed carefully off after 15 minutes, will go far to check 
a sore throat or cough, a little nitre in the wash to act on the skin and 
kidneys will assist. In case of any horse having a nasty slimy running 
at the nose, remove at once and isolate, it may be a case for a Yeterinary- 
Surgeon, it may be nothing, but don't risk it, glanders are easily picked 
up in camps and billets in India from ponies or donkeys. 
Lameness. It is generally simple enough to see when a horse is lame, although at 
