Chapter II: Part 2

IRREGULAR TEETH.—The gums are sometimes irritated in connection with the molar teeth. This irritation extends and affects the pharynx and larynx, and perhaps a severe cough is the result, called a dentition cough. It is often the result of but a slight irritation at the back part of the gums—this cough may not be very severe, but it is troublesome—or the gum may become badly swollen. The best treatment is to scarify it. We find tumors in the upper and lower jaw, perhaps from the imperfect development of the teeth, or from slight injury, irritation, etc. They may or may not be malignant, and are likely to extend and involve the alveoli and bone. If not malignant, and only upon the surface, it is called epulis, and is not very common. If not malignant remove it, and it may do well for some time; it will return, extend and become a hopeless case. The horse frequently suffers from sharp, projecting teeth, which occurs more commonly in old horses, from wearing down the teeth in an uneven manner. They will be sharper on the inner edge of the lower jaw and the outer edge of the upper jaw, which may be from faulty formation. In such cases the animal has difficulty in eating, grinds his food, ejecting it. Perhaps when driving him he carries the head to one side from the bearing of the bit not being the same on both sides. If the teeth are sharp in the lower jaw they lacerate the tongue; if in the upper they lacerate the cheeks. The best remedy for this is the tooth rasp, and there is no necessity for using the mouth speculum. After rasping, feed upon soft food for a day or two. There are more difficult cases where the teeth project to some extent, generally in old horses, due to malformation of the jaw. Sometimes the upper jaw extends over the lower, and a part of the tooth is not worn down properly, and after a time it interferes with mastication, and the animal suffers considerably from irritation. The same appears in the front teeth of the upper jaw, but it is not so serious as the back tooth. The animal may be reduced to a walking skeleton, almost; although the appetite appears good, the food is thrown out. You can detect by examining with the hand, and if it is the last molar tooth it is advisable to place a twitch on the horse’s nose, and using the mouth speculum, then remove the projecting portion of the tooth by means of the molar cutter. After using the molar cutters smooth the cut surface of the tooth with a tooth rasp and feed properly, and he will improve rapidly.

ULCERATED OR CARIES OF THE TEETH.—The lower animals do not suffer from this as much as man, for two reasons: their teeth are complicated, and the mode of living. Sweets have a bad effect upon the teeth. Horses rarely suffer from toothache, but they frequently suffer from carious teeth. Caries may commence either on the table surface, root or fang, or even in that which surrounds the teeth; or it may result from a slight injury, as getting a stone, etc., between the teeth when masticating, or it may begin in the fang from improper development of the dentine, which receives its nourishment from the tooth-pulp, and when this is gone, the tooth does not receive proper nourishment, etc.

SYMPTOMS.—In the early stages they are not very plain, but become better developed after a time. The animal will show some irritation while eating. Although he is hungry, and goes ravenously to eating, he will all at once quit masticating, and either holds the food in the mouth or throws it out unchewed. This may be due to a slight irritation of the teeth. He acts something similar to the human being, and these symptoms may be present for some time before well-marked symptoms appear. But in, it may be, six months or a year, certain distinct symptoms appear. If it is in the table surface, the tooth is brittle and wears down more readily and the tooth opposite to it grows longer; he quits or rejects the food, and a peculiar stench or fetor is present. The animal falls off in condition in most cases. When it is in connection with the root or fang it is different. As it extends it involves the other tissues, sets up irritation in the upper sinus of the head, if it is in the lower jaw, as well as the symptoms given, you will, perhaps, notice a slight enlargement which extends down the lower portion of the jaw; sinuses form and pus is discharged. Exercise care and judgment and you need make no great mistakes. I know of horses being destroyed for glanders when only affected with ulcerated teeth.

TREATMENT.—Remove the tooth—and this is not very easily done, but there are various ways. Open the mouth by means of a mouth speculum, and, if practical, use the forceps. The trouble with the forceps is, they are apt to break the tooth when they are closed upon it too tight. There is a root forcep which can be used in the lower jaw, as the teeth in that are more easily removed than those in the upper jaw; or you may remove by trephining, and then, by inserting a punch, it can be driven out. When you attempt to remove a tooth and it breaks down, it will, in many cases, come away of itself without further treatment. The first and second molars are more difficult to punch out than the others. After treatment keep the animal quiet; feed upon soft food that does not require much mastication. There is a difference in treating the cavity. Some recommend filling it with gutta percha to prevent the food from passing into the sinus. It will sometimes pass into both sinuses; but generally there is no necessity for filling it. If you trephine, it is more needful than in pulling. If food passes into the sinuses then it will be necessary to fill the hole. Sometimes in parrot-mouth the incisors of the lower jaw grow and irritate the mucous membrane of the opposite jaw when it is necessary to use incisor cutters or rasp them down.

WOLF OR SUPERNUMERARY TEETH.—Wolf teeth are comparatively small in size and have only one root and are found just in front of the upper molar teeth. Sometimes they do harm, but that is an exception and not the rule. They can be easily removed with a pair of small forceps or they may be punched out in some instances, but I prefer that you use the regular wolf tooth forcep as it looks much better to the onlooker. I think they interfere with the eyes, causing them to become watery and inflamed, due to the tooth exerting some influence upon the ophthalmic division of the fifth nerve.

SUPERNUMERARY TEETH.—Tooth substance may develop in almost any part of the body. These are called supernumerary teeth and are commonly found in the testicles, ovaries and sinuses of the head, etc.

FOREIGN BODY LODGED IN THE MOUTH.—A foreign body sometimes gets lodged in the mouth, as a piece of wood, wire from the feed, etc., and possibly becomes imbeded between the molar teeth, and the animal is not able to get it out. There will be difficulty in masticating; a flow of saliva; the animal stands with the head poked out, as if suffering from sore throat. He will partially masticate, then try to swallow, and perhaps eject the food. These symptoms are present in sore throat, and it is necessary to make a careful examination; you are not likely to mistake just one case, but if there is some other disease prevalent that presents similar symptoms, then you are liable to make a mistake. As stated before, exercise care and judgment and you need make no great mistakes, this applies to all diseases, etc., that you are called upon to treat.

CURB.

CAUSE.—Faulty conformation of the hind legs; that is to say, if a animal has crooked legs, a slight sprain from slipping or jumping will produce Curb. In cases where an animal has well proportioned limbs, and is afflicted with Curb, it is caused by a rupture of the small ligament or cord situated just back of the hock.

SYMPTOMS.—A swelling will be noticed on the back part of the hock. At first the animal is lame and the enlargement is hot and painful. After a few days’ rest the inflammation will partially subside and the enlargement can be plainly seen. When the animal is walked about he may be very lame at the start, but this will disappear as he is moved.

TREATMENT.—When the curb is hot and painful, it is well to apply ice packs or cold water to the part. When the inflammation subsides, apply Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams; Lard, two ounces. Mix and rub in well for twenty minutes; repeat every forty-eight hours until three applications are made. If the Curb is of long standing it is more difficult to treat, in which case the above treatment should be repeated again in two or three months. Do not use the animal in drawing heavy loads, or drive on slippery roads, for six months. Give the blister time to strengthen the ruptured tendons. A high-heeled shoe is often valuable in relieving tendons of their tension.

DIARRHOEA.

CAUSE.—Sudden change of food, frozen food, soft food, unwholesome food, stagnant water, or drinking large quantities of water at one time, purgative medicines, or it may be associated with blood diseases, lung and intestinal affections, or produced by micro-organisms. Many horses, particularly slack loined, slight, “washy” animals, purge if worked or excited, as may be observed among race horses when taken to a race course. Diarrhoea may also be due to worms, or it may be merely an effort on the part of nature to expel some irritant matter from the bowels or from the blood, in which case it should on no account be prematurely checked.

SYMPTOMS.—Frequent loose evacuations of the intestines, with or without pronounced abdominal pain; generally, loss of appetite, animal looks gaunt and the hair rough.

TREATMENT.—Keep the animal quiet, comfortably stabled and warmly blanketed. Give pure water to drink, often, but in small quantities. If the animal will eat, feed moderately on clean food, as rolled oats and dry bran. Also, give the following prescription: Protan, three ounces; Zinc Sulphocarbolates, ten grains; Creosote, one dram; Powdered Ginger, two ounces; Powdered Gum Catechu, six drams; Powdered Gum Camphor, one-half dram. Mix and make eight powders. Place one powder in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun, or the same sized dose dissolved in a pint of water and used as a drench. However, be very careful when drenching an animal. _It is dangerous._ This prescription will not only check the diarrhoea, but will tone the muscular fibres of the intestines which aid in throwing off these irritant matters from the system. If the horse shows colicky pains, administer the same treatment as that recommended for colic. It is well to give the following treatment in the convalescing stages of diarrhoea: Pulv. Gentian Root, four ounces; Ferri Sulphate, four ounces Pulv. Nux Vomica, four ounces; Pulv. Fenugreek Seed, eight ounces. Mix and give one heaping tablespoonful three times daily in feed. This facilitates digestion by stimulating the flow of gastric juices.

DISTEMPER.

CAUSE.—Distemper is placed among the germ diseases, and is produced by the Streptococcus of Schutz. It is contagious and a number of animals in the same stable may become affected at the same time. It is supposed to attack an animal but once, but it may be contracted a second time. May occur at any time of the year.

SYMPTOMS.—The animal will first appear dull, and show loss of appetite, and the hair will look dull and rough. There will be a watery discharge from the nose, and in a day or so a lump will appear between the jaws; the animal keeps his head in a peculiar position; saliva runs from its mouth; the pulse will be a little faster than normal. The breathing will become more rapid and the lump between the jaws will get larger. This lump, or tumor, may form in other parts of the body, on the shoulder, in the groin, lungs or intestines. It usually causes death if it cannot be absorbed. This is called irregular distemper. A determined effort should be made to draw the lump, or tumor, to a head as soon as possible.

TREATMENT.—Place the horse in a clean, well-ventilated and lighted stall, excluding all drafts, blanket the animal, hand rub the legs and bandage them; give inhalations of steam from Hot Water and Turpentine. A good method for heating water for this purpose is to place hot stones or bricks in the water and Turpentine. This will relieve the hard breathing. Remember a horse cannot breathe through his mouth, therefore, liquid drenches are dangerous. A paste made from Potassi Chlorate, two ounces; Potassi Nitrate, two ounces, dissolved into a pint of warm molasses and given well back on the tongue in tablespoonful doses every two or three hours is very beneficial. A liniment made from equal parts of Aqua Ammonia Fort., Turpentine and Sweet Oil should be applied every morning over the enlargement that appears in the region of the throat. If the enlargement fails to come to a head, use a clean knife for lancing purposes.

After an attack of distemper your horse is generally run down in condition. Give the following: Potassi Nitrate, four ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, four ounces; Pulv. Anise Seed, eight ounces. Make into thirty-two powders and give one powder three times daily in feed.

DROPSY.

(_Of the Belly, Chest, Sheath, Udder and Legs_)

CAUSE.—Poor circulation; kidneys not working properly; lack of exercise; diseases of the lungs, liver, heart, womb or sheath. Mares heavy with foal often have dropsical swellings.

SYMPTOMS.—Swelling seldom contains fluid, although sometimes a sticky serum oozes through the skin; fingers pressed against the swollen parts leave impressions.

TREATMENT.—Avoid giving physics in this condition when possible, especially to mares with foal. Feed laxative food, as hot bran mashes, green grass, carrots, potatoes, etc.; also the following mixture: Potassi Iodide, two ounces; Potassi Nitrate, four ounces; Chloride of Potash, two ounces. Mix and make into sixteen powders. Place one powder in their drinking water three times a day. Exercise the animal as much as possible and you will derive good results from this treatment within a week or so.

I may add that in the above affection it is a bad practice to apply hot applications, as the chances are it would produce a sloughing of the skin.

ECZEMA.

CAUSE.—Anything that interferes with the healthy action of the skin, as checked sweating, irritation from dirty blankets or harness, or from accumulation of dirt on the skin through want of grooming, errors in feeding, overheat, or by infection. In some cases the cause seems to be constitutional; in others, local. Though the disease is not parasitic in character, it is probable that when once contracted the diseased parts may become infected.

SYMPTOMS.—Slight dryness and eruptions that may affect the head, ears, neck, shoulders, flanks, inside of thighs and root of the tail, followed by vesicles or pimples which burst and discharge, or the contents may be absorbed. The animal will rub against the stall, manger, or any other object he can reach, until the parts are very sore, or if worked, he will rub himself violently when unharnessed.

TREATMENT.—Give Fowler’s Solution of Arsenic, one tablespoonful morning and night on their feed; also give a physic consisting of two drams of Aloin and two drams of Pulverized Ginger in gelatin capsule. Give at one dose. One physic is all that is necessary to cool out the blood, which will assist materially in treating Eczema. Also, apply Zinc Ointment twice daily over the vesicles or pimples which will appear on the skin. Also, feed easily digested food if possible, such as carrots, apples, grass, hot bran mashes and steamed rolled oats, and keep the animal clean and groom carefully with clean combs and brushes.

EYE DISEASES.

_Inflammation of the Membrane of Nictitans_

CONJUNCTIVITIS, or Inflammation of the superficial structure of the eye.

CAUSE.—Direct or indirect injury to the eye, as a blow from a whip, dust, sand or chaff in the eye, or it may be due to extreme cold, heat, or foul air.

The membrane of nictation is an accessory eyelid common to all domestic animals, the purpose of which is to remove foreign substances from the eye in much the same manner as we use the hand.

SYMPTOMS.—Conjunctivitis and inflammation of the membranes of nictitans are very much the same. A partial or complete closure of the eye, and a watery discharge due to overstimulation of the lachrymal glands, the fluid being secreted so abundantly that it is impossible for the tear duct to carry it away; hence, there will be a continuous overflow of tears down the horse’s face. The formation of a film or scum over the eye need not cause alarm if the eye shows no sign of puncture.

TREATMENT.—Examine the eye carefully and remove any foreign body with clean cloth or feather and apply the following: Yellow Oxide of Mercury, three grains; Lanolin, one ounce. Mix well together and apply to the eye three or four times daily. Avoid the use of liquid medicines, as they are hard to apply, and the animal throws them out by shaking the head.

FISTULOUS WITHERS.

CAUSE.—Fistulous Withers are seen mostly in horses that have a thick neck as well as those that are very high in the withers, or among saddle horses, those that are very low on the withers, the saddle here riding forward and bruising the parts. They are often caused by ill-fitting collars or saddles, by direct injury from blows, and from the horse rolling upon rough, sharp stones. In this location, the ulcer of the skin or a simple abscess, if not properly and punctually treated, may terminate into Fistula. The pus burrows and finds lodgment deep down between the muscles, and escapes only when the sinuses become surcharged when, during motion of the muscles, the pus is forced to the surface.

SYMPTOMS.—These of course will vary according to the progress made by the Fistula. Following an injury we may often notice soreness or stiffness of the front legs, and upon careful examination of the withers we will see small tortuous lines running from the point of irritation downwards and backwards over the region of the shoulder. The stiffness of the limbs may disappear at this time, and heat and soreness of the parts may become less noticeable, but the swelling of the shoulders continues to enlarge. The swelling may often have the form of a running ulcer, or its contents may dry up and leave a tumor, which gradually develops the common characteristic of a fistulous tumor. When the enlargement has an opening, we should carefully examine the pus cavity, as upon this condition will wholly depend our treatment.

TREATMENT.—Keep the animal as quiet as possible, as any movements of the limbs cause the pus to spread between the lines of the muscles and form larger abscesses or tumors. When the bone becomes diseased, it is very difficult to effect a cure, especially where the pus burrows back of the Scapula (Shoulder Blade). In case the abscess is newly formed, and close to the surface, syringing out with a solution made from Bichloride of Mercury, five grains to one ounce of water, generally causes the white fibrous tissue to slough away and the parts to heal rapidly. If the abscess is deep, and the bones become diseased, the pus will have a very offensive odor, and I would recommend free use of a knife and bone chisels to remove all diseased portions of bone or muscle.

FILARIAE.

(_Thread-like Worm_)

CAUSE.—Drinking stagnant water, or eating hay gathered from swamps or marshy land. When full grown, the worm measures from two to six inches in length; the tail is more or less curved. They are found in the lung cavity, the heart sac, and the intestinal cavity, from which they sometimes descend into the sac containing the testicles. Animals said to have a snake in the eye have been exhibited as curiosities; in all cases the simulated snake was nothing more than the Filariae.

SYMPTOMS.—Colicky spells; poor appetite, indigestion, pot-belly, rough coat; swelling of the sheath, legs, and the lower surface of the belly.

TREATMENT.—Prevention is the only treatment, for when the worms once enter the digestive canal, it is impossible to remove them.

FOUNDER.

(_Laminitis_)

CAUSE.—Overeating or drinking—in fact, any irritation of the stomach or intestines is liable to be followed by Founder, owing to the similarity in the sensitive structure of the foot, skin, and mucous membranes. Horses with weak feet are predisposed to Founder, but it may also occur in strong-footed animals. Founder is also produced by driving an animal on a hot summer day and then placing in the stable where the sweat is suddenly checked by drafts, etc.

SYMPTOMS.—The horse is stiff, and moves with great difficulty; he will generally, though not always, remain standing. Throws weight upon the heel of the foot to relieve the toe, and if an effort is made to back him he will drag his feet. Excessive heat is present at the top of the hoof, and a throbbing of the arteries may be felt. When the fore feet only are affected, the horse will relieve them of as much weight as possible when walking by placing the hind feet well under the body, which results in a peculiar jumping motion. Founder may occur in all four feet, but the fore feet are more often affected than the hind ones. Mares sometimes founder after giving birth to a colt, due to inflammation of the womb; symptoms correspond to those of common Founder. Founder may be mistaken for disease of the lungs or kidneys, owing to the standing position and arched back.

TREATMENT.—In all cases of Founder, administer Potassi Iodide, one ounce; Soda Bicarbonate, four ounces; Potassi Nitrate, four ounces. Mix and give two tablespoonfuls in drinking water every six hours. If the animal will not take it in its water, place in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun.

Find out the true cause of the disease, if possible, and perhaps a physic will be indicated, containing Aloin, two drams; Ginger, two drams; place it in a capsule and give with capsule gun. If desired results are not obtained in eighteen hours, repeat the dose until there is an action of the bowels. Founder following excessive irritation of the stomach and intestines, or mares heavy with foal, should not receive physics. Feed food that is easily digested, as carrots, kale, apples, potatoes, hot bran mashes, or steamed rolled oats, etc.

It is well to elevate the hind quarters and give rectal injections of Warm Water and Glycerine. Stand in mud or water, or apply bags containing mud, bran or ice; in fact, anything that will have a cool, moist effect on the feet.

After the inflammation of the feet has subsided, and the animal walks fairly well, you should apply a blister containing Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams; Lard, two ounces, around the top of the hoofs, and rub in well twice forty-eight hours apart. In some cases of Founder it is recommended to bleed the animal in the foot. If this is attempted, good disinfectants should be used, as lock-jaw might follow.

GALLS.

CAUSE.—Injuries from ill-fitting collars, saddles, harness, hobbles and scalping-boots.

TREATMENT.—Remove the cause. Never wash a Gall with water, as this prevents its healing, nor use oils or salves, as they accumulate dirt, dust and germs, which may cause infection. The following application makes a very valuable dressing for Galls: Boracic Acid, one ounce; Corn Starch, one ounce; Tannic Acid, one-half ounce; Iodoform, one dram. Powder finely and place in sifter-top can. Dust on Gall before going to work and on retiring. This heals and refreshes the Galls and wounds by forming a smooth surface over the part, which permits it to heal while the horse works.

GREASE HEEL.

CAUSE.—Parasitic fungi invading cracked heels.

SYMPTOMS.—Offensive discharge from the glands under the skin, and if not properly treated, red spots will appear, and the yellow discharge will form a hard crust sticking to the roots of the hair.

TREATMENT.—Cleanliness is one of the most important measures. Also, good nourishing food. If the skin is swollen and tender, poultice with hot Flaxseed Meal or bran. After the swelling and tenderness have abated, wash well with good Castile Soap and Warm Water. Dry with clean cloth and apply the following mixture: Calomel, one dram; Iodoform, one dram; Boracic Acid, one ounce. Mix well and apply two to three times a day. Feed green grass, carrots, kale, apples, or potatoes if possible, also feed hot bran mashes. In all cases of Grease Heel give the following physic: Aloin, two drams; Pulv. Ginger, two drams. Place in a capsule and give with capsule gun. A physic has a very good effect on the blood, which assists materially in healing the cracks and nodules that appear in Grease Heel.

GLANDERS OR FARCY.

CAUSE.—Due to a specific germ called the Bacillus Malleii, or Bacillus of Glanders. Glanders, or Farcy, is very contagious, and is transmissible to man as well as animals. Cattle and sheep alone are immune. The disease may be contracted at watering troughs, stables, horseshoeing shops, in boats, trains and by harness, bits, curry combs, bedding, pails, etc., as well as by direct contact with a diseased animal.

SYMPTOMS.—Animal does not thrive although the appetite is good at times; loss of flesh, and is subject to sweats, the hair looks rough, the temperature increasing slightly, perhaps two degrees, a cough is generally present. Legs and abdomen are swollen; discharge from the nose, sometimes tinged with blood and very sticky, the membranes of the nose look dusty, and ulcers or spots are visible if closely examined. The glands under the back of the ears and between the jaws are hard, lumpy and swollen.

In addition to the above symptoms, Farcy affects the skin by producing swellings, or nodules, varying from the size of a pea to that of a hickory nut (called Farcy buds, or Farcy buttons), which are found inside of the hind legs under the abdomen, on the side of the chest, shoulder and neck, also around the nose, lips and face. Generally there is a discharge of greenish-yellow pus, which is very sticky.

Glanders, or Farcy, may be mistaken for nasal catarrh, nasal gleet, ulcerated teeth, nettle rash, lymphangitis, distemper, etc. Fortunately, this dreaded disease is not very prevalent in this country, as every precaution has been taken to stamp it out.

NO TREATMENT.—If at any time you have reason to think one of your animals has the disease, or even a neighbor’s, or a transient horse, exhibits the symptoms, it is your duty to report the fact to the State Veterinarian at once. You will do this if you have your own welfare and that of your neighborhood at heart.

HEAVES.

(_Emphysema of the Lungs_)

CAUSE.—Fast or heavy work. It may follow Lung Fever or Pleurisy, or the animal may inherit weakness in the walls of the air-cells of the lungs. A very common cause is feeding dusty or dirty hay, or bulky food. Horses that are accustomed to eating ravenously are often victims of Heaves.

SYMPTOMS.—Disease may develop slowly or rapidly. When the animal is at rest, the air is taken into the lungs in a more or less normal manner, but is expelled by two distinct efforts, the abdominal muscles aiding the lungs in expiration, as may be seen by the heaving of the flank; the movement of the ribs in breathing is scarcely noticeable in a heavy horse. A healthy animal, when at rest, will throw the air from the lungs in a single effort. The difficulty in breathing is constant and increases in proportion to the amount of food in the stomach and intestines. At the beginning of the attack there is a spasmodic cough, which is more or less intermittent; this develops later into a short, weak, suppressed cough, as if the animal lacked strength in his chest to expel a full breath, often accompanied by expulsion of wind from the anus, which is somewhat protruded.

TREATMENT.—Feed good, nourishing food, but nothing that is of a bulky nature. Feed more grain and less hay, which should be dampened with water if dusty. Do not feed dusty, musty or bulky food, but give plenty of potatoes, apples, kale and green grass. Have your druggist make up one quart of Fowler’s Solution of Arsenic, omitting the Tincture of Lavender. This is soothing to the organs of breathing, and should be given two tablespoonfuls three times a day on the feed. After a week or ten days you might increase the dose slightly. Although this will make the horse work much better, do not give it with the hope of effecting a complete cure, as very few cases recover fully from this disease.

INFLUENZA.

(_Pink Eye—Epizootic Catarrh_)

CAUSE.—Influenza is a specific and infectious fever, which shows a marked tendency to spread rapidly over a large area of country. It generally appears suddenly, without preliminary symptoms, and may become fully developed in twenty-four hours.

SYMPTOMS.—The usual symptoms are those of Catarrh, although the bowels, lungs and brain complications may be present, either singly or combined. It always gives rise to great weakness. The distinguishing characteristics of Influenza from Distemper, Sore Throat, and other diseases affecting the organs of breathing, are the suddenness of the attack, rise of temperature, varying from 103° to 106° F., pulse feeble and fast, and a pinkish, swollen appearance of the inside of the eyelids. The animal is dull, in some cases almost unconscious. Sometimes the legs are very stiff and swollen, and there is great difficulty in moving about.

TREATMENT.—Place the affected animal in a clean, well ventilated stall, avoid drafts, give pure water to drink with chill taken off, in small quantities but often. Blanket if the weather is chilly, hand rub the legs and bandage, give Quinine, two drams, in a gelatin capsule with capsule gun every four hours. In addition to the above, administer the treatment recommended for Acute and Chronic Coughs.

Feed good, nutritious food that has a laxative effect on the bowels, as it is dangerous to give horses physic with this disease. Hot bran mashes, steamed rolled oats and vegetables are very beneficial.

LAMPAS.

CAUSE.—In young horses it is commonly caused by cutting teeth. In older animals it is usually due to indigestion.

SYMPTOMS.—A puffy swelling and redness of the gums. The animal may have difficulty in eating.

TREATMENT.—In young animals, when cutting teeth, let nature take its course, but when an animal is five years or over, place two drams of Aloin, and two drams of Pulv. Ginger, in a gelatin capsule and administer with capsule gun. Then tone up the digestive organs by mixing one ounce of Pulv. Gentian Root, one ounce of Pulv. Nux Vomica, four ounces of Bicarbonate of Soda. Make into eight powders and give one powder in feed twice daily, or place in gelatin capsule and administer with capsule gun.

LEECHES.

(_Haemopis_)

The leeches which suck the blood of the horse may be divided into two classes, the external parasites which attach themselves to the skin of the legs and adjacent parts of the horse, and the Haemopis Sanguisuga, and others of this class, which, not being able to penetrate the skin, endeavor to enter the mouth or nostrils of the horse when he is drinking or grazing in wet and leech-infected pastures. They sometimes cling to the mucous membrane of the eyes. The horse leech, which lives in the water, usually gains access to the mouth and nostrils of the animal, when young and not more than one-tenth of an inch long. They rarely go beyond the air and food passages, generally fastening themselves to the walls of the windpipe and gullet, where they cling till the animal dies from loss of blood or suffocation. They often cause bleeding from the mouth and nostrils, and may be seen by close examination.

TREATMENT.—Endeavor to build up the condition of the animal with suitable food. Also feed liberal quantities of rock salt. Where the leeches cling tightly to the mucous membranes of the mouth and nostrils, it is well to cause the horse to inhale the vapor from hot water containing turpentine.

LOCK-JAW.

(_Tetanus_)

CAUSE.—The bacilli of Tetanus are widely distributed and can be found in practically every part of the globe. Their favorite place of production, however, is in barn yards and marshy ground. They are frequently swallowed by stock along with forage, and can often be found in recently expelled feces. The most favorable temperature for their development is about 70° F. They act by means of extremely virulent poisons which they produce, and which causes the terrible symptoms that are characteristic of the disease.

SYMPTOMS.—The muscles of expression are usually the first brought under the continual spasm of tetanus, and when thus affected give the face of the animal a pinched and drawn-in appearance. The other muscles of the head and those of the neck are next attacked. The mouth is closed, the nose poked out, the head elevated. The muscles of breathing, and those of the limbs, become contracted so that the neck is hollowed, and the tail is raised, the horse stands with outstretched limbs. The animal shows great stiffness or rigidity in attempted movements. The eyes are sunken, and when startled or excited, the breathing is quickened and the flanks have a wrinkled or corrugated appearance. Death may quickly occur from continuous spasms of the muscles of the throat. Another sign is the flying up of the accessory eyelid when the animal is excited.

TREATMENT.—Almost every medicine in the pharmacopoeia has been tried in the treatment of tetanus, certain remedies meeting with great success in the hands of some practitioners, and proving total failures in the hands of others. It is, however, generally admitted by the members of the profession that perfect quietness is of greatest importance in the treatment of tetanus. Place the patient in a dry, well ventilated, loose box stall, slightly darkened, if possible, in an out-of-the-way place, and fill the ears with cotton-wool. Administer a full dose of purgative medicine (aloes eight drams) and follow with belladonna in a capsule or bolus. The body should be lightly clothed, and the animal placed in slings. Never give drench if it produces excitement. When the wound can be discovered, powerful antiseptics should be continually applied to its lowest depths. Arsenious acid, chloroform, hyoscyamus, digitalis, belladonna, chloral hydrate, morphine, potassium bromide, carbolic acid, and many other medicines have been used, and some of them have been found beneficial. Belladonna is probably as good as any, and should be given freely. Inhalations of chloroform temporarily abate spasm, but the reaction afterwards is usually severe. Medicines which can be given in the drinking-water may be administered in that way. The food should consist of milk, eggs, beef-tea, wine gruel, and food of that description, easily taken and of a very nutritious character. Too great care or attention cannot possibly be bestowed upon the animal. The after-treatment consists of allowing a liberal quantity of good nutritious food—green food is preferable. Exercise daily for some time after recovery has taken place, and the work should be light and slow for a month or two.

PREVENTIVE TREATMENT.—An antitoxin serum, if injected under the skin of a patient before a surgical operation, or immediately after the infection of a wound, is a most reliable safeguard against tetanus. It should always be used in districts where tetanus is prevalent. Its value subcutaneously is solely preventive, not curative; and it is of no use when once the disease has gained a foothold.

LUNG FEVER.

(_Pneumonia_)

CAUSE.—Predisposition is largely accountable for this disease, which is more common to young horses than old; also, changes of temperature, introduction of foreign bodies or liquids into the trachea (windpipe) and the bronchial tubes, inhalation of smoke or irritating gases, excitement, exposure to cold after clipping, turning out to pasture from a warm stable, or injury to chest or ribs from being struck with a pole, etc.

SYMPTOMS.—Dullness in spirit; animal usually shivers or trembles; when this ceases the temperature rises to perhaps 103° to 106° F., pulse increases to sixty or ninety per minute, full and bounding; breathing short and labored and abnormally quick, increasing to perhaps fifty inspirations per minute, whereas in health it does not exceed twelve or thirteen per minute. A cough is also likely to be present, and the animals remain standing until they are on the road to recovery, or until death takes place. Other symptoms are constipation, feces covered with mucus or slime; urination frequent, scanty and dark in color; appetite poor, but thirst great; the eyes look glassy and the membranes have an inflamed appearance. It is a good sign if the animal looks about freely. When the critical stage is past the temperature and pulse gradually fall, the appetite returns and the urine becomes more abundant, and takes on its natural color, the cough loosens, and the discharge from the lungs is profuse, and of a yellowish color, and the breathing becomes normal.

TREATMENT.—Good care is of the utmost importance. Place the horse in a comfortable, well ventilated stall, being careful to exclude drafts. Hand rub and bandage the legs with woolen cloth. Blanket the animal, give plenty of bedding and keep pure water before him at all times. Internally administer Quinine, two ounces; Iodide of Ammonia, two ounces; Ammonia Bicarbonate, two ounces. Mix well and make into sixteen powders. Place powder in gelatin capsule, and give with capsule gun every four hours. It is quite necessary that the above remedy should be placed in capsule, as drugs of this nature tend to irritate the throat. Do not give physics, as it is much safer to give laxative food, as hot bran mashes, steam rolled oats or some vegetables, in fact anything the animal will eat, i. e., that has food values. It is advisable to apply over the chest the following liniment: Aqua Ammonia Fort., four ounces; Turpentine, four ounces; Raw Linseed Oil, four ounces. Mix and shake well before applying each time over the chest cavity.

In case the animal is constipated, give rectal injections of soap and warm water containing a few drops of Turpentine.

MANGE.

(_Scabies_)

CAUSE.—Mange is a contagious disease, produced by the presence of a small parasite that varies in length from a fiftieth to a hundredth of an inch, according to the species, of which there are three: Sarcoptes, which generally affects the withers; Symbiotes Communis, affecting the legs, and the Psoroptes Communis, which affects horses about the root of the tail and mane. The latter is one most commonly found affecting horses. They multiply rapidly and are spread from diseased to healthy horses by their bodies coming in contact with one another, or by corrals, stables, railroad cars, etc., recently occupied by mangy horses.

SYMPTOMS.—The mange mite attacks the skin and produces a thickness of its outer surface, covering it with crusts and scabs, with a consequent loss of hair. Intense itching accompanies the disease, and affected horses continually bite and rub themselves.

Psoroptic Mange commences at the root of the tail, or at the roots of the mane on the neck or withers, and gradually spreads over the back, up to the head, over the sides, and finally affects the entire body. In cases of long standing the skin becomes ulcerated, the animal becomes greatly weakened, emaciated and finally dies.

TREATMENT.—When a large number of horses are affected (in one locality) it is best to prepare a vat and dip them, under the supervision of the United States Bureau of Animal Industry. When just a few horses become affected, the following has proven very effective: Sulphur, eight ounces; Oil of Tar, eight ounces; Sweet Oil, two quarts. Mix and apply liberally to the parts affected. A few applications are generally sufficient to eradicate the disease.

LYMPHANGITIS.

CAUSE.—This ailment is common with hard working horses, and is caused by confining them in the stable and allowing their usual amount of food. More nutriment is consumed than can be taken up by the system, which causes an irritation. It is frequently found in certain stables on Monday morning, hence its name—Monday Morning Disease.

SYMPTOMS.—Swelling and lameness, most usually affecting the hind leg instead of the thigh and extending down the leg in a hard ridge. It will pit on pressure, and cause intense pain; the horse will have difficulty in extending the limb forward, the swelling may surround the leg entirely. Pulse will be fifty to sixty per minute, temperature 102° to 104° F., breathing will be faster than normal. The animal has great thirst, but the appetite is very poor; usually remains standing; if he lies down will have great difficulty in getting up.

TREATMENT.—In this particular disease apply hot fomentations to the affected limb or limbs, for one hour, then rub dry and apply Camphorated Liniment. Give Nitrate Potassi, Chlorate of Potassi, Iodide Potassi, each four ounces. Mix and make into thirty-two powders. Give one powder three times a day in drinking water or in a gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun.

In most cases it is advisable to give a physic: Aloin, two drams; Pulv. Gentian Root, one dram; Ginger, one dram. Place in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun.

MUD FEVER.

CAUSE.—Horses driven over muddy roads during the day and exposed to freezing weather at night, or driving them over muddy roads, then washing the limbs and not drying them properly, often produces a superficial inflammation of the legs.

SYMPTOMS.—The legs are swollen, extremely hot and tender, the horse is stiff, the hair comes off the legs easily and if the cause is not removed severe complications may follow, as the secretions of the skin become greatly affected.

TREATMENT.—Prevention. Horses that are driven over muddy, wet roads should have their legs rubbed dry when stabling them for any length of time. When the legs are badly swollen wash them with clean warm water and castile soap and dry them well with a clean soft cloth. Then apply Zinc Oxide Ointment or a lotion made from Acetate of Lead, one ounce; Zinc Sulphate, one-half ounce. Place in a quart of clean water and apply twice daily. Either application is very beneficial in the treatment of Mud Fever. Feed the animal wheat bran mashes, steamed rolled oats, vegetables, etc., as they have a very good effect on the system which aids in relieving the inflammation of the skin.

NASAL GLEET.

(_Chronic Catarrh_)

CAUSE.—Exposure to cold followed by neglect, and lack of nourishing food; bruise or fracture of the frontal bones of the head; injury of the blood-vessels inside the bones, or an ulcerated tooth. May also be caused by tumor, or foreign substance or liquids in the nasal cavities. Sometimes dried pus in the nostrils, resulting from a cold, will cause nasal gleet.

SYMPTOMS.—A white or yellowish discharge from one or both of the nostrils, the quantity varying with the severity of the attack and the length of time the disease has been established. If, when tapping over the nose below the eye, a dull sound is produced, it is safe to conclude that the cavities are filled with pus; to make certain, compare the sick animal with a healthy one; in some cases you will notice that even the bones of the nose below the eye are slightly elevated. The lining of the nose may be of a red or yellow color but not ulcerated in spots, as in Glanders. The animal may continue in good spirits and work well for a time but as the case develops he becomes lean in flesh and what is termed hide-bound. Always examine the teeth. In a case of long standing, the discharge has a fetid smell, differing in this respect also from Glanders.

TREATMENT.—If not due to fractured bones of the head or ulcerated teeth, the animal will, in most cases, recover with proper medical treatment. When due to injury to the bones of the head, tumors, ulcerated teeth or dried pus in the nasal cavities, it is best to remove the diseased portion with the aid of bone chisel or tephine and treat the wound antiseptically. In the mild forms of nasal-gleet or chronic catarrh, administer the following: Ferri Sulphate, Potassi Iodide, Nux Vomica, each four ounces. Mix well and make into thirty-two capsules. Give one capsule three times daily and feed food that is nourishing and easily digested.

NAVEL STRING INFECTION.

(_Umbilical Pyemia_)

CAUSE AND NATURE.—While the unborn foal (foetus) is in the womb of its mother, it is surrounded by enveloping membranes which constitute the afterbirth on delivery. These membranes are attached to the wall of the womb and are connected to the foetus by means of the navel-string (umbilical cord) which is provided with two arteries and a vein for the nourishment of the young creature and for the removal of its waste products.

It also has a narrow canal (the urachus) which serves to remove the urine of the foetus; in fact the subsequently formed bladder takes its origin from a dilation of the urachus. Under normal conditions when the foal is born, respiration takes place, the umbilical arteries and veins become quickly blocked up, urine is discharged through the urethra (which communicates with the penis or vagina, as the case may be), the foal enjoys a separate existence and the wound caused by the division of the umbilical cord leaves a scar which is known as the navel.

It is usually supposed that the germ of navel-string infection gains admittance into the body through the exposed surface before the wound is closed. However, I am of the opinion that the mother is the bearer of the infection in a great many cases for in the uterine secretions of mares whose foals fell with navel-string infection, the same characteristic germs were found as were present in the joints of the affected foals. The infectious material is, by the act of covering, conveyed from mare to mare, so that the mucous membranes of the womb becomes the habitat of the specific germ. By inoculation of these germs into the blood stream of foals an illness is produced which in the smallest particular cannot be distinguished from that arising in naturally affected foals. It is a strange fact that when the infected germs are transmitted by the mother, their presence does not produce any disturbance in her.

This is a very common malady in most places. I have known several instances on particular farms where they were unable to raise either foals or calves, but if the mother were removed to another farm immediately after or before foaling, the foal or calf lived and was reared without difficulty, and although constitutional debility plays an important part, the presence of specific germs constituting an infected area is, I believe, the most important factor in producing this disease.

According to my observation, about seventy-five per cent of the cases die within the first three weeks after birth. This high rate of mortality would be considerably diminished if proper treatment was adopted.

SYMPTOMS.—The attack usually comes on during the second or third week after birth and almost always before the closure of the navel opening, which, in affected animals, will be found to be in a wet and suppurating condition. Occasionally foals two or three months old which have the urachus closed and are in an apparently healthy condition contract this disease in a form of painful swelling of the joints. The first symptoms are generally dullness; more or less fever; lameness which is often attributed to rheumatism or to injury caused by the mare treading on foal; the disinclination to move or even to stand. Upon examination the patient will be found to have a soft, gelatinous swelling of one or more of the joints of which the hock, elbow, fetlock, stifle and hip usually manifest the enlargement most clearly.

These swellings are hot and painful to the touch; they tend to suppurate and frequently cause intense lameness. In very rare cases open urachus may exist without any joint inflammation. In this disease, inflammation of the joints and open urachus are almost always co-existent.

Animals that recover from a bad attack are seldom worth the trouble of rearing, because as a rule their constitution becomes permanently impaired and one or more of their joints becomes stiffened by the attack.

TREATMENT.—In the treatment of this disease, we have to attend to constitutional disturbances, inflamed joints, open urachus and complications such as constipation and diarrhoea. The comfort of our little patient must be studied under all circumstances. If the weather be at all cold it should be covered by a warm sheet. Should the foal have any difficulty in rising from the recumbent position, an attendant should assist it to rise and see that it is regularly fed. It is only in extreme cases that the animal refuses to suck its dam. During warm weather, and especially if the ground is dry, such a patient is always better off for a little sunshine, but on no account must it be left out during extreme heat, as in this state it is very liable to sunstroke. The best food for the mare is grass, which during the day, she can generally have. The inflamed joints of the foal should be rubbed lightly with the following, after being thoroughly mixed: Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams; Vaseline, two ounces, every forty-eight hours, which, when applied to the skin, appears to have a well-marked antiseptic action on the underlying tissues. An inflamed joint should on no account be bathed with warm water, fomented or poulticed because the application of moist heat would be the best possible means for promoting the development of the infective germs which are the cause of the local and general disturbance. The open navel-string should not be ligatured because that operation is generally followed by an increased inflammation of the part, and by an aggravation of the other symptoms apparently on account of this outlet for deleterious products becoming blocked up. If the navel-string has been ligatured and is in an inflamed state, the ligature should be removed without delay. If the foal is constipated give two or three ounces of Castor Oil; also, administer the following: Zinc Sulphocarbolates, one-half dram; Hyposulphite of Soda, four ounces. Mix and make into thirty-two powders. Give one powder well back on the tongue every four hours.

As a supplement to the food, we may give brown sugar or treacle, both of which are easily digested and are very nourishing. Four or five eggs daily will also aid in keeping up the strength.

NAVEL RUPTURE.

(_Umbilical Hernia_)

CAUSE.—Hereditary predisposition is well marked in this complaint. It may exist at birth, but so-called congenital rupture may very probably be the result of the pulling which the navel-string underwent at the time of foaling. However, umbilical hernia usually occurs during the first two or three months after birth; that is to say, while the opening at the navel is becoming obliterated and the tissues at that place are becoming consolidated. They can, however, appear later and may result from more or less violent strains sustained when the foals are jumping or playing. At other times these strains are induced by intestinal irritation accompanied by diarrhoea or constipation with straining. But, however the strain may take place, the abdominal muscles contract and push the intestines towards the wall of the belly. Then if they find an opening or even a weak spot, like the ring of the navel while it is undergoing the process of becoming blocked up, they select it and a rupture is produced.

SYMPTOMS.—This rupture, the situation of which clearly shows its character, may vary in size from that of a hen’s egg to that of an ostrich’s egg. If pressed upon with the hand, especially if the animal is placed on its back, the rupture will disappear, to return, however, when the pressure is removed. If it be composed of intestines it will be soft and elastic when the bowels are empty, but when they are full of semi-solid food they will be doughy. In any event, the tumor will feel elastic when composed of intestines, but when formed of its connecting membranes, will naturally not vary in consistence. If intestines be present, movements and abdominal rumblings may be detected in it. This rupture rarely gives rise to serious consequences because its contents are composed of large intestines and omentum, either of which is, in this position, not liable to become strangulated. It may, however, become engorged and inflamed from injury. Its existence naturally depreciates the value of an animal suffering from it.

TREATMENT.—In the majority of cases, they will disappear of their own accord in two or three months. In case the rupture shows no signs of diminishing in size it is well to apply a bandage around the abdomen.

OPEN JOINT.