To guard against this scourge of the stable, as the disease is contagious, be careful what company your horses keep, and let reason be used in the working, feeding, exercising, and general care of your stud.

What is called Water Farcy is neither dangerous nor contagious, and arises from debility of the system, occasioned probably by over-work and indifferent feeding.

It is generally marked by a dropsical swelling of the legs, mostly the hind ones. It is not common in gentlemen's stables, where horses are less worked and better cared for than their neighbours.

The best cure is friction to the swelling, moderate work, and improved feeding; and give a ball twice a-day, each dose with

Ringworm is characterised by one or more scurfy or scaly circular patches on the skin where the hair has fallen off. As soon as discovered, let the parts be washed with soap and tepid water twice a-day; and when they have been gently but perfectly dried, apply rather thickly the following ointment over the spots :

thoroughly incorporated, add the iodide of lead; give also every night the following drink :—

Continue this drink until the disease has disappeared.

Should ulceration remain about the circumferent edges after the central bare spot has been apparently cured, apply to the affected circuit six times a-day persistently the following lotion :

The animal should be thrown up from work during this treatment, which may be requisite for a month, and good food given.

Administer also a powerful alterative or two during the course of treatment, more particularly if the case is obstinate.*

Other practitioners recommend, with the administration of alteratives, the simple application of a solution of nitrate of silver, 30 grains to 1 ounce of water (distilled), applied every second day to the eruptions, until they are destroyed.

SURFEIT

is an eruption on the skin, and generally gives way, if attended to immediately on its appearance, by relaxing the bowels mildly, giving partly green food instead of hay and bran mashes; at the same time keep up the

* This treatment is recommended by Mr Mayhew.

strength by feeding with the best oats and a little beans, alternately with the laxative treatment.

Should these means not suffice, or the disease become worse, consult a medical practitioner, who will probably administer diuretics; or if you cannot procure a professional man, give the following excellent tonic and alterative drink, recommended by Mr Mayhew :

Mix, and give daily half a pint for a dose.

Hidebound requires the same treatment as surfeit. Mange is generally the result of insufficient food and other privations endured at grass, and of the neglect of the skin consequent on animals being turned out for a time to take care of themselves.

It is highly contagious, and is now admitted to be occasioned by an insect which is engendered in the foul coat.

A capital wash is recommended by Mr Mayhew,

About a pint and a half is said to be the quantity required to make one dressing. Every portion of the entire coat should be saturated with this wash, and thus left for two clear days, when it should be washed clean with soft soap and warm water, equal care being taken to omit no part of the body, which should afterwards be thoroughly dried and the coat well dressed or whisked.

When all is dry and clean apply a second dressing, proceeding as directed for the first, and a third after the two days have elapsed and the second cleaning process has been thoroughly gone through, after which the disease ought to be eradicated. A mere disposition to scratching is generally successfully treated by giving bran mashes night and morning for some days, and part green food instead of hay. Others recommend for mange, as most successful, the following application, to be well rubbed in once a-week all over the animal with a stiff horse-brush :—

3 parts.

To be mixed and gently warmed in a pan.

The whole of the horse's body to be thoroughly washed with soft soap and warm water, and PERFECTLY dried, previous to rubbing in the foregoing application.

SORE BACK, WITHERS, AND SITFASTS,

It

should be carefully attended to with poultices or waterdressing (see page 160), while a disposition to throw off pus is present, after which the application of healing agents (among which chloride of zinc lotion and glycerine are now prominent) is the proper course, but applicable only to decidedly trifling and superficial cases. is imperative, if a cure be desired, that no pressure whatever from the saddle or any other cause of irritation be permitted; therefore, unless a saddler can effectually chamber and pack the saddle so as to prevent the possibility of its touching on or near the sore, the saddle must not be used at all.

The worst and common result of sores on the back is, that sinuses or cavities, with an almost imperceptible orifice, insidiously eat away like poll-evil into the more important part of the adjacent structure. Here the aid of the veterinary surgeon is indispensable.

(Being myself acquainted with anatomy, I used to get a depending orifice as near as possible to the bottom of the sinus (as discovered with a probe) by a bistuary, laying the sinus open all the way; or if the direction were rather superficial, by the insertion of a seton-needle about the width of the sinus, run out at bottom, leaving the seton in to direct the discharge. The latter operation, if carefully conducted, is decidedly the simplest and best when practicable.)

For prevention of sore back avoid injurious pressure from an ill-fitting saddle; also removing it too quickly from the back of a heated animal (see "Work," page 37). Pressure of the terret-pad (see page 59), or of the roller from not being properly chambered over the ridge of the back (see page 19), must also be carefully guarded against.

WOUNDS,

if deep or dangerous, should meet with the immediate attention of a surgeon, as none but anatomists should deal with them. Generally speaking, the loss of a moderate quantity of blood is rather beneficial than otherwise, tending to avert inflammation. Where waterdressing (see page 160) can be applied, nothing is better in the first instance; and when the wound is fairly cleansed and evidently healing, the chloride of zinc lotion (see page 158) will advance that process and help to dry it up. When the surface is perfectly healed and a new skin formed, the growth of the hair will be pro