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PATHOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT;
TO WHICH IS ADDED
A COMPLETE DICTIONARY OF EQUINE
" MATERIA MEDIC A,"
Ey HUGH DALZIEL,
Author of " The Diseases of Dogs" $c.
London :
L. TTPCOTT GILL, 170, STRAND, W.O.
LONDON :
PRINTED BY A. BRADLEY, 170, STRAND, W.C.
©ljp &%mt% of Ifcrm
INTRODUCTION,
Veterinary science and its votaries are unfortunately not generally — in
this country at least— held in the esteem, and have not attained to that
position of popularity their importance and usefulness so justly deserve.
We are the most conservative of people, and hold on alike to our " glorious
constitution " and our " stupid prejudices " with the tenacity of our Eng-
lish bulldogs. Probably, as we have half swallowed the pill of compulsory
education, and as it is sure to go down altogether with the jolting of time,
the British owners of the unparalleled number— as shown by agricultural
statistics— of over fifty millions of the finest stock the world can show,
may in the course of another generation begin to question the propriety of
a system of wholesale drugging at haphazard, and to doubt the wisdom of
trusting the health and lives of their stock to the traditional ignorance and
heirloom mysteries of the farrier, the ostler, and the cowman, instead of
the skill of the trained veterinarian.
The honourable craft of horse doctoring has undergone many vicissitudes.
In the earliest times medicine was studied and applied by the same practi-
tioner to the relief of diseases of all animals associated with man as well as
to man himself, and among the ancient writers of both Greece and Rome
considerable advance was made in the study of veterinary science. But
with the fall of the Eoman empire this science, like others, fell into decay,
and appears to have remained neglected for many centuries.
In, I believe, the fifteenth century, when the practice of shoeing horses
with iron began to be more generally adopted, the practice of horse physic
was revived, and was handed over to the farrier, or ferrier, or shoeing-
smith, as the name implies, being taken from the Latin ferrum (iron).
Such an inconsistency as making the shoemaker the doctor might be natu-
ral to the dark ages, but that it should be persevered in with unyielding
stupidity by the intelligent British horse owner of the latter half of the
nineteenth century is a mystery I leave others to solve, as it is incompre-
hensible to me. The fact, however, is unquestionable, that by the vast
majority of stock owners, the qualified man is set aside in favour of the
A 2
4 THE DISEASES OF HORSES,
ignorant dealer in mystification, and the infallible trumpery of the einpirio
is preferred to modes of treatment and preparations the outcome of the
united wisdom and research of the whole of our veterinary colleges. Such
charges as these do not apply to the higher agricultural associations,
nor generally to their individual members, but that they are true of
the average English farmer, and the great majority of lesser owners, there
are unfortunately too many proofs. This does not, I am sure, arise from
a want of love for the horse, for nowhere is he held in such esteem or
seen in such perfection. Our tight little island has always been famous
for its horses ; even the Romans, when they occupied England, found our
native breed so superior as to be worth exporting to Eome, and since
then, and especially since the time of King James I., what has not English
skill and care done in improving this noble animal, that "gives profit to
the poor and pleasure to the rich ?" We have, indeed, produced an animal
the acme of perfection, the envy of the world, an animal, in the words
of an old writer, "with the courage of the lion, the fleetness of the deer,
the strength of the ox, and the docility of the spaniel."
On our equine favourite we often lavish a vast expenditure, and spare
no pains in bringing him to the highest condition, and to display his splen-
did form and noble qualities to the best advantage, and, in doing this, we
are guided by the accumulated wisdom of an experience gained by a close
and careful study of his nature and habits, and it is only when disease
attacks him that common sense is put aside for faith in mystery. No
doubt a vast deal of the injurious physicking to which the horse is
subjected is undertaken with the best of intentions, but we all know which
road is paved with these, and if the horse could speak, how often would he
say " You may mean well, my master, but if you only knew the suffering
you cause me, you would try and understand me better." Even poor
Hodge, the waggoner, who stints himself of his beer and saves from his
own spare pocket money to buy " vitriol" or some almost equally in-
jurious " coating powders," to be given to his team on the sly, is prompted
by the most laudable motives, and acts in pure but mistaken kindness
to the animals under his charge, whom he wishes in his honest pride to
excel his neighbours' ; and in thus ignorantly drugging his horses he
but follows the example set by his superiors. I do not expect by the
little knowledge I can communicate on the subject to make any palpable
difference in this respect, but as the weakest efforts when rightly directed
do some good, I hope, if only by directing the attention of horse owners
to a subject of such importance, to effect some alleviation in the unneces-
sary suffering of their animals, and that at a saving of cost to themselves.
It is not my intention to attempt to grapple with the more abstruse
questions connected with the subject— which would indeed be valueless to
the general reader— but to endeavour, as plainly as possibly, to enable
those who wish to recognise the existence of disease to avoid the causes,
and to select such remedies as may with safety and advantage be used in
the hands of any intelligent man, and to point out such measures of homo
THEIR PATIIOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT.
treatment as may mitigate suffering, and assist, instead of retarding, the
operations of the veterinary surgeon, should it be necessary to call
him in.
As in the book on " The Diseases of Do^s," I propose, for convenience
of reference, to take the subjects in alphabetical order, instead of attempt-
ing a classification, which in this case, and for our simple purposes,
would be useless and confusing. As it appears to mo that every owner
of stock to any extent should keep a collection of the most generally
useful medicines by him, I will give a complete list of drugs used in treat-
ing the diseases of the horse, with their properties and doses, out of
which the contents of a really useful horse medicine chest may be selected,
The Field horse medicine chest, introduced to the public by me a few
years ago, being open to some practical objections and capable of very
great improvements.
I have already observed or implied, and I repeat, that the treatment
of all serious and complicated cases of disease or injury should be left to
the qualified veterinary surgeon, who by his special education, training l
and practice is alone fitted to do so efficiently and without danger to tho
animal j but as we do not in our own cases run to the doctor on every
slight occasion, no more is it necessary to call in the veterinarian when
by attention to incipient symptoms and the timely use of simple and
appropriate remedies disease may be warded off ; and it is in the hope
that in some degree, however slight, I may contribute to this end that
I write.
In compiling the various articles I have laid under contribution tho
writings of the most advanced authorities on these subjects, but my
object being to collect useful information, and convey it to amateur
readers in the most simple language, except where a verbatim quotation
is given, I have thought it unnecessary to make special reference to
any one source, as it might equally apply to several.
Abdomen, Diseases of.— The abdomen is the region or cavity of
the belly containing the stomach, bowels, liver, bladder, &c, for diseases
of which consult articles under those separate heads.
Abdomen, Wounds of.— (See Wounds.)
Abscess. — Abscess is the name given to a collection of pus or matter
formed and deposited in some of the tissues of the body. It generally
arises from a bruise or other injury, and its formation is always attended
with increased heat of the part, and is so recognised, as also by pain and
swelling. As it advances it becomes more localised, or comes to a head,
6 THE DISEASES OF HORSES,
when, if not opened, it will generally ulcerate and discharge through the
skin. The danger in an abscess is that it should discharge internally,
when death is the result ; the object, therefore, is to stimulate the process
and by hot fomentations, poultices, &c, to soften the skin and draw
the matter towards the surface. When abscesses are deep-seated it ia
unsafe for anyone unaccustomed to the knife to attempt to open them ;
where they are more superficially situated they may by attention to a few
general rules be safely and successfully treated. When first discovered,
the part should be bathed with water as hot as can well be borne, and this
must be kept up continuously— an intermittent application being worse
than useless -or a poultice made with bran and hot water, and which
cannot be too large, should be kept constantly applied, and changed as
it gets at all cold. To prevent the evaporation of heat, cover it with
woollen cloths when practicable. Sometimes when an abscess forms
very tardily, it ia advisable to apply a blister, or a good strong stimu-
lating liniment should be rubbed all over the swelled part with consider-
able friction, and poultices afterwards applied. When the abscess is fully
formed, or ripe, as it is called, which may be ascertained by its prominence,
softness to the touch, and partial fluidity of its contents, it should be opened
with an abscess knife or strong lancet, by inserting it into the softest and
most prominent part and cutting downwards when the position will
permit of that, so as to insure good and speedy drainage of the matter ;
pressure, and afterwards keeping the parts clean, is all that is then
necessary, unless the wound shows an indisposition to heal, when it may
be washed with a stimulating lotion, or the following ointment, which is
useful for dressing any old sore that shows an indisposition to heal,
may be applied a few times :
Ointment for Healing Wounds. — Take red precipitate, 2dr. ; Venice
turpentine, loz. ; lard, loz., mixed.
If an abscess has been of such magnitude as to cause debility, the
horse should have a course of tonic powders, which from their genera]
utility we may at once introduce here.
Tonic Powders. — For debility, loss of appetite, emaciation, want of blood,
wasting, &c. : Take pure sulphate of iron, 6oz.; powdered gentian root, 4oz.;
powdered ginger, 2oz. ; ground carraways, 3oz. ; bicarbonate of soda, loz.;
locust bean meal |lb. Mix thoroughly and give a tablespoonful in the
food (slightly damped) twice a day.
B.
Back Sinews, Strain or Sprain of.— This is one of the numerous
injuries to which the complicated structure of the foot and leg are liable,
and as with the horse " 'tis the pace that kills," so it oftenest happens to
THEIR PATHOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT. 7
those put to fast work ; and as these tendons support a good deal of the
animal's weight when the foot comes to the ground in galloping or
jumping they become strained. It also often happens to cart horses,
especially those used on hilly roads, and to others that are constantly pushed
beyond their natural pace. The flexor or bending tendons are inclosed
in a sheath of cellular substance, for their greater protection, and by
sudden or sustained over- exertion, this sheath gets injured by the pressure
of the tendon, and if the injury be slight it may be confined to the sheath,
and may exist some time without lameness, or so little as to be un-
observed, or thought unworthy attention, but unless the horse has rest
and attention it will be sure to get worse and worse, and end in permanent
lameness.
In bad cases some of the ligamentous fibres get ruptured, whereby the
inflammation is increased, and considerable lameness at once produced ; in
such cases the limb is flexed or bent, the horse endeavours to save the
leg from having any weight, the toe only is put to the ground, and the
local swelling, heat, and tenderness will plainly indicate the seat of the
injury. In slighter cases of strain of the back sinews the horse shows the
lameness most on first being taken out of the stable ; and as it in some
such instances disappears with moderate exercise, it has led to the
belief that it can be worked off; but such a thing never occurs, and invari-
ably, after standing a while, the lameness will be found to have returne<3»
and without proper treatment and prolonged rest, it will get worse and
worse.
In bad or repeated strains, and particularly when proper care has
not been taken, stimulating liniments or other improper applications used,
and when the horse has been again put to work before the parts have
recovered their proper state, the sinews become shortened or contracted,
the horse steps only on his toe, and the front of the fetlock comes almost,
or entirely, to the ground, the joint being what is termed overshot. Pre-
ventive measures are, to a great extent, in every horse owner's and driver's
hands, and the exercise of care, judgment, and humanity in using the
horse, would, in a great majority of cases, at once save the animal from much
suffering and his owner from pecuniary loss. Unfortunately, however, the
willing beast is in too many instances treated with the utmost heart-
lessness, and used and valued merely as a steam engine or other machine,
costing so much money, and to be made to realise so much at -whatever
cost of pain and suffering to the dumb brute. But, taking it on the lowest
grounds, this system does not pay, for even apiece of mechanism
like a steam engine cannot, with ultimate profit, be constantly driven
at the highest pressure ; how much less the finer and wonderfully compli-
cated organism of the horse. It is so far satisfactory to reflect that
Nemesis dogs the steps of inhumanity, but our friend and slave, the horse,
deserves consideration on higher grounds, and it is ever true "the mer-
ciful man is merciful to his beast."
In attempting curative treatment in this, and, indeed in all similar acci*
8 TIIE DISEASES OF HORSES,
dents whero iuflammation is produced, there are some errors in domestic
practice which it is necessary to refer to in order that they maybe guarded
against. It should ba laid down as a rule, and adhered to, by all who have
to do with horses and who attempt to treat them for such injuries, that
neither blisters, stimulating liniments, nor hot, burning oils must be used
whilst heat and tenderness of the part remain ; these— except the last men-
tioned — will follow in duo time, and if judiciously used, will strengthen
the weakened parts ; but if used during the inflammatory stage they do
harm; yet how common do we find it that both in the stableman's and
farmer's mind the most unalterable prejudice exists in favour of some
famous oils, probably — as I know they often do— containing powerful
mineral acids; or somebody's "celebrated liniment," which, though com-
pounded of the most incongruous mess of incompatibles, is yet warranted
to cure everything, from a sore shoulder to a break- down. All such things
must be discarded, and reliance placed on simpler and more efficient means,
combined with rest and home comfort to the animal.
In slight cases apply warm poultices of bran or linseed meal, renewing
them as often as they get cold, or keep up continuous hot fomentations for
several days, or as long as the place is hot and tender ; plain water will
answer the purpose as well as anything else ; but if a prejudice exists in
favour of " yerbs," such as marsh mallow, houseleek, &c, they can do
no harm ; and for the benefit of such I transcribe a very old recipe from
Gervaso Markham, one of the earliest English writers on veterinary sub-
jects. He says for " any grief in his nether joints, whereby the horse goeth
stiff and halteth, then take a handful of laurel leaves and of primrose
leaves, of ground ivy, of crowfoot, of mallows, of red fennel, and of fine
hay, of each of them severally as much ; seethe them well together, and
then let them stand fourteen days ; then bathe the joint with it once a day,
and bind of the herbs into it for four days together; then after chafe
into the joint fresh grease and oil mixed together, and it will ease all
his pain." Dr. Bracken, writing 150 years later, recommends as a "cold
charge for strain of the back sinews— Bole Armenica £lb., white wino
vinegar, and white of eggs as much as will make it the consistence of a
poultice— to be applied spread pretty thick on a piece of leather, and as
it grows dry put more on." I have known very similar applications used
in the present day.
In severe cases it may be necessary, the sooner to relieve and to prevent
the inflammation extending and producing consequent derangement of
the system, to bleed the horse. This may be done at the toe, and if neces-
sary the bleeding may be encouraged by placing the foot in a bucket of
warm water. When sufficient has been taken, and the bleeding stopped,
the poultices or hot fomentations must be used, and continued till the in-
flammation subsidos, which may be in two or three days. Cold applications
should then be resorted to, such as vinegar and water in equal parts, with
a wineglassful of spirit of wine added to every quart, or the following
lotion will answer still better :
Til E IB, PATHOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT. \J
Lotion for Strain of Back Sinews —Take of sal ammoniac, §oz. ; strong
acetic acid, 3oz. ; methylated spirits of wine, 2oz. ; and water to make up a
wine bottle.
The lotions must be applied by means of a bandage, which should be
kept constantly wetted, this should be continued for several weeks, when
the horse should be either fired or blistered, and allowed a considerable
period of rest. Complete recovery from severe cases is not to be looked
for, and, although the horse will recover sufficiently to be very useful, he
should be afterwards kept to light and rather slow work, for if pressed or
put to hard work lameness is very likely to recur.
It may be found useful in beginning the treatment to give the horse a
dose of physic, and if the case has been neglected and the animal is
feverish, he will also require some fever medicine; but this may be avoided
by care and attention, particularly to his diet, which should, during
treatment, consist of clover or cut grass, if obtainable, or roots, such
as carrots or steamed potatoes with steamed corn, and the return to
usual feed should be gradual, as inflammatory and feverish symptoms dis-
appear.
Barbs and Pap3.-The horse is furnished with a number of glands
for the secretion of saliva, and these open and discharge the fluid by small
protuberances underneath the tongue. The submaxillary glands open on
each side of the bridle of the tongue, presenting a teat-like appearance,
and in cases of cold, inflammation, &c, these swell and become tender,
causing some*" difficulty in mastication ; and in this swollen and inflamed
state they form what are known as barbs or paps in the mouth. Old
farriers recommend their excision, and the practice still prevails among the
ignorant ; and the immediate result of this cruel and stupid practice is
that reduction of the local inflammation is produced by the bleeding, but
the wound made is difficult to; heal, the discharge of saliva helps to spread
the sore, or the orifice of the duct gets closed, and the fluid it contains,
finding no outlet, accumulates until it bursts, and a deep-seated ulcerous
sore is formed beneath the tongue, which may puzzle the most skilful
practitioner to cure. When we consider that these glands discharge
into the mouth an amount of saliva absolutely necessary for the proper
mastication of the food, the parotid alone discharging, on the authority
of Touatt, a pint and a half an hour during mastication, the folly of tam-
pering with them becomes apparent. The treatment really required i3
to remove the cause by giving a dose of physic and a few doses of cooling
medicine, and at the same time to keep the animal on soft and easily mas-
ticated food ; Walsh recommends in obstinate cases, that they be touched
every second day with caustic, just at the opening of the duct. Similar
enlargements of the opening of the sublingual glands, are known a3 gigs,
bladders, and flaps.
Belly Ache.— See Colic.
Bladder, Inflammation of.— This is not of very frequent occurrence
in the horse, and is probably often caused by the giving of cantharides as a
10 THE DISEASES OF HORSES,
stimulant ; or it may arise from the presence of calculus or stone in the
bladder ; or it may be the result of a blow cruelly inflicted with the toe of a
heavy boot; it may also exist as sympathetic with inflammation of the kid-
neys. The symptoms are irritability of the bladder shown by the frequent
passing of urine in small quantities, and with considerable straining,
and pain is evidenced by the animal often looking anxiously round towards
its hind quarters. The horse should receive a dose of linseed oil suf-
ficient to purge— a pint and a half, or two pints, and he should be well
supplied with water, linseed tea, or thin gruel, and also with mashes of
linseed and bran, the linseed being boiled or thoroughly scalded with
boiling water so as to extract the mucilage ; this treatment with rest will
generally be all sufficient, but if the case is very severe, one of the following
balls may be given every four hours :
Balls for Inflammation of the Bladder —Take opium, l£dr. ; extract of
belladonna, Jdr. ; camphor, l^dr. ; made into a convenient sized ball with
linseed meal and treacle.
Bladders.— See Barbs.
Bleeding.— So long as the Veterinary art was entirely in the hands of
the farrier and the blacksmith, letting blood was the grand panacea for all
the ills horseflesh is heir to ; it was also held to be the great prophylactio
or preventive of horse diseases, and with this idea the animals wereregu-
larly bled, spring and fall, and sometimes as often as four times a year,
and to some extent the vicious system still prevails, and is held by
many— at least their actions lead one to think so— as the universal remedy.
Let a farrier be called in to see a horse, and no matter what ails him, if
he is at all puzzled— which, as a matter of course, he generally is— the
chances are a hundred to one that he will bleed him ; this makes a show,
has a palpable effect on the horse, covers the man's ignorance, and
should the animal recover he gets great credit ; whereas, should the
horse die, how convenient it is to debit Providence with it, or, " Ah, if
you had but sent for me sooner." No doubt there are urgent cases as
in strong inflammation, when the prompt use of the fleam or the lancet is
not merely of great benefit, but offers the only chance of saving life ;
but to open a vein and take away so much of the life of an animal
should not be undertaken without due consideration, and those who in this
matter plead the excuse that if it does no good it can do no harm are
greatly mistaken. Periodical bleeding of healthy animals is not only
uncalled for and useless, but, when persisted in, it begets a habit of
body which makes the continued repetition of it imperative, and
instead of warding off disease, as it is supposed to do, it but weakens
the animal, laying him more open to the attacks of disease, and less able
to resist their effects.
The instruments used in bleeding horses are the lancet, the fleam and
the blood stick used for striking the fleam. The most usual place to bleed,
when the general system is to be affected by the operation, is the jugular
vein in the upper part of the neck, 4in. or 5in. from the fork where it
THEJB PATHOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT. 11
divides and branches off. An expert operator would raise the vein
by pressure with his finger ; but it is a common practice to do so by