PRACTICAL PAPERS —DISEASES, ETC. 
33 7 
will be amply repaid, for be assured, nature never leaves us our 
debtor, if we deal fairly and honestly by her. To improve per- 
manently our stock, we must breed from the very best, for the 
accomplishment of our desires, and the adaptability of any par¬ 
ticular breed to our own wants, or as best fitted to any particular 
soil, or climate. The capabilities and points, each in their place, 
should always be considered before we make our selections for 
breeding purposes. 
DISEASES. 
In discussing this part of my subject, I shall only have time to 
give, as it were, a passing notice, and shall select only those 
diseases which are most common to our domestic animals, and 
from which they suffer the most. 
Rheumatism —two kinds—chronic and acute. This is the most 
insidious and perplexing ailment which afflicts our animals. 
Nothing is more baffling to the skill of the professional man, or 
more trying and painful to the subject of it. 
How is it produced? By sudden changes; above all things, 
from hot to cold. Exposure to a cold, damp atmosphere, or a 
cold rain ; anything which suddenly cools off the temperature, es¬ 
pecially immediately after hard, exhausting labor. 
This last is a fearful source of rheumatism in the horse. Cattle, 
sheep, hogs and poultry are similarly affected, by similar causes, 
with this difference, the poor horse is compelled to work often 
beyond his powers of endurance, and is then neglected ; conse¬ 
quently he suffers all the more often and acutely from attacks of 
rheumatism. 
So-called founder or stiffs in horses and cattle is often (not al¬ 
ways) neither more nor less than acute rheumatism. 
Sheep, hogs and poultry often—much oftener than is supposed 
or believed—suffer severely from attacks of rheumatism, caused 
as above. Rheumatism is also largely hereditary, and therefore 
no animal, male or female, known to be the subject of rheuma¬ 
tism, should be bred from, whatever desirable points they may 
possess; for so surely as we thus sin against nature, so surely 
will she most unrelentingly exact the penalty, often so full a pen¬ 
alty as to become appalling to the beholder. 
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