THE VETERINARIAN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 880, 11 January 1889, Page 18

THE VETERINARIAN.

LAMENESS IN HORSES. Probably the most frequent cause of lameness in horses is caused by contraction of the hoof or feet, and this is caused by neglect either in shoeing or caring for the feet. When we stop and consider that there is a certain per cent of moisture in the structure of the hoof, we Bee the importance of supplying this need. The horse that stands on a dry floor week after week must suffer from dry feet, and this means contractions. The hoof here becomes hard and unyielding and the horse lame. IE the shoeing be neglected there will be an unnatural growth of the hoof, and that, too, not in a natural manner, but closely held by the iron band in a restricted form. In fact, the ills from which the poor horses so often suffer are very largely to be traced to neglect on the part of tho owners. The horse was intended for out-door life on the ground, where the feet would be kept soft and yielding. If we would keep closer to Nature’s methods there would be fewer cripples and less cause for complaint. Let us apply a little common Bense to our treatment of the hcraes.—Spirit of the Times. SWEETBREADS. The functions of * sweetbreads, 7 technically known as the thymus glands, i 8 not exactly known; but as it exists throughout the whole life in hybernating animals, and beconies very large and laden with fat as each period of hybernation approaches, it appears to store up material which, being reabsorbed, assists in maintaining the temperature of ffhe body, and possibly it has the same function in calves, See. The salivary glands which secrete saliva, and the pancreas which secretes a fluid which greatly assists in the digestion of food, are frequently sold by butchers as ' sweetbreads, 7 but the true sweetbread, as above mentioned, is the thymus gland, found in the chest and some distance up the neck in calves.—A. “STOPPING 77 HORSES FEET. Horses that are used on hot pavements, or other situations which induce a hot, dry condition of the feet, require special treatment to palliate the evil. This generally consists of filling the concave sole and the space within the 3hoe at night with pome moist substance. The most usual material for this purpose has, for a long time, been fresh cow dung, either alone or mixed with clay. While no one can question the value of the practice, the substance named is utterly unfit for the purpose. Strangely enough, it is recommended by many eminent veterinary writers, though all admit that it is a fruitful source of thrush. One of. tiiese after stating that thrush is caused by the horse standing in its own dung or other filth, recommends stopping with cow dung as a palliative ! Another, equally eminent, remarks that it should be ‘ used with great caution where there is any disposition to thrush. 7 As if there ever was a horse with such a 1 disposition 7 if its ieet are kept iu contaofc with filth. Professor Law denounces the use of this sub. stance by implication In a sentence. He gives aa the causes of thrush, * Exposure

to wet and filth ; standing on dung, or in a dirty, wet yard ; stuffing the feet with cow dung, etc. Then why fill the feet with the filthy oorroding stuff? A clean and inoffensive material is made by mixing linseed meal, with an eqnal part of clay and wetting the mixture to the desired consistence. This accomplishes the object, without danger of unpleasant effects.