THE VETERINARIAN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 938, 21 February 1890, Page 18

THE VETERINARIAN.

MIDLAND COUNTIES VETERINARY ASSOCIATION ON THE OPERATION FOR ROARING. The secretary of of the Midland Counties Veterinary Medical Association has kindly sent us a report of the committee appointed to examine and report on the three horses which were operated on by Professor Axe on May 24 ultimo, by the removal of the arytenoid cartilage. The horses were examined by the members of the committee on Sept 20, just four months after the operation, a reasonabletimefor a critical examination of the patients, with the view to ascertain if any benefit had resulted. Report. Your committee beg to state that they carefully examined the three animals which they had seen operated upon at Wolverbamptom on the 14th day of May last, and report as follows : No. 1, Brown gelding, about 8 years old, the property of the masters of_ the Albrighton Hunt. This horse is still a very pronounced roarer, in addition to which, since the operation, he suffers from a distressing cough. The cough is very frequent, in fact, almost incessaut, when either walking, trotting, or galloping. In addition to this, there is = a copious discharge from both nostrils. No alleviation whatever of the roaring has followed the operation. No. 2. Black gelding, 7 years old, still a very pronounced roarer. In this case also discharge from nostrils, which pours copiously when pulled up afcer a gallop, also same incessant cough as in previous case, and horse much distressed by his exertions in galloping. No. 3. Bay mare, 6 years old still a pronounced roarer. In this case also cougti is present, and is frequent in all paces. Mare quite unequal to much physical exertion in galloping, and pulls up very distressed. Again we find copious discharge from nostrils ; also, when drinking, a large quantity of water is returned down the nostrils. This also occurs in horses Nos. 1 and 2.

Your committee greatly regret to «have to report that in none of these cases has any benefit followed as a result of the operation. On the contrary, you have untoward results in the frequent cough and the discharge from the nostrils. In the opinion of this com" mibtee also the animals exhibit, more distress under exertion than do roarers of about the same degree under ordinary circumstances. Your committee the more deeply regret to report these unsatisfactory results, because, having seen the operations on these animals performed by the professor, they can with great pleasure testify to the absolutely skilful manner in which in they were carried out. Your committee beg to add that the thanks of this association are due to the owners of itho horses for the trouble they took in again placing them at our disposal, and sending them some miles for examination. (Signed) E. Bbddard, M.R.0.V.5., Wolverhampton. Robt. C. Trigger, F.R.0.V.5., Newcastle,

Staff. R. H. Carf weight, M.R.C.V.S., Wolver-

hampton. T. Chambers, M.R.C.V.S., Dudley. E. B. Jones, M.R.C.Y.S., Leicester. We have had to record similar cases of failure ; but, unfortunately, there is nothing at present before us in favour of tho treatment, which is still adopted in many cases.

Sorns of our reader may be in a position to inform us of cases in which the operation has been partially or entirely satisfactory. It can hardly be admitted that no instances of success exist, and it is only fair that they should be reported if they do.

THE NEW RULES RELATING TO DENTITION AT THE SMITHFIELD SHOW. Some time ago, the council of the SmithfhVU G.'b passed a resolution to the effect /that n certain stale of dentition should bo aBl ..;ted a a evidence that the animal had a-c.-ic --d or exceeded a certain age. The B-üb-g v/f. re made applicable to cattle, sheep, laud atvine, us follows i Dentition of Cattle. 4‘atilt? having their central permanent iirebiora eat. will be considered S 3 exceeding 4 yt&i* and 6 mouths. Cattle with their central permanent incisors ftiUy up, will be considered as exceeding I -yr.-zr and 5 months. Cittlo having their secossff pair of pervn .merit incisors fully up, will be considered ;as exceeding 2 years and 3 months. Cattle with the third pair of permaseab iincDora our., will be oonsidcred as exceeding 12 v- ara and 8 n^anths. Cattle having their fourth pair (corner) pemi inent incisors .fully up, ami their Anterior molars showing signs of wear, will be canBidered as exceeding 3 years. Dentition of SisEKf\ .cheeT) with their central permanent incisors cma v. ill be considered as exceeding 10 ami'&fdiS. :d'L«ep with their t er: tral permanent incisors ffuliy'aigh "dl bo considered as exceeding 12 months. Sheep with their third pair of permanent incisors cut, will be considered as exceeding IS months. Sheep with their third pair of permanent incisors fully up, and the temporary molars ■shed, will be considered as exceeding 24 months old. Sheep with their corner permanent incisors well up and showing marks of wear, will be poneidered as exceeding 3 years.

Dentition of Swine,

Pigs having their corner permanent incisors cut, will be considered as exceeding 6 months.

Pigs having their permanent tusks more than half up, will bo considered as exceeding 9 months.

Pigshaving their central permanent incisors up, and any of the first three permanent molars cut, will be considered as exceeding 12 months.

Pigs having their lateral temporary incisors shed and the permanents appearing, will be considered as exceeding 15 months. Pigs having the lateral permanent incisors fully up, will be considered as exceeding 18 months.

It might appear that under this system it would be easy for an exhibitor to escape any risk of disqualification ; nevertheless, in several cases the rules have been ignored, and the animals —the state of whose dentition did not come within the defined limits —have been disqualified. It is an open question whether ar not the system should be carried a step further, and provide that animals should be entered according to the state of their teeth. This would at least necessitate an examination of the animals’ mouths before they were sent to the show. GREAT WEIGHT OF STONES IN A HORSE. Mr George Williams, of St Ives, Cornwall, fishbuyer, &c., had a horse fourteen years old, which on Tuesday took a load of new potatoes to a steamer at Penzance, and reached home at eight in the evening, apparently quite well and doing its work as comfortably as any ordinary horse of that age does. On Wednesday it became uneasy, and seemed to be in much pain, and at six o’clock that evening the services of Professor P. Andrew, veterinary surgeon, were asked, and promptly given. He found the poor animal sitting on its haunches straining, and in great agony. He at once sa : d there was a stoppage in stomach or intestines. AH that veterinary skill and attention throughout that night and Thursday could do was done by Professor Andrew, but the poor animal died in terrible pain, its screechings being something pitiful to listen to. A postmortem disclosed the cause of so much pain and ultimate death. In the intestines were four large stones, weighing 4 lb. 1 oz. The largest weighed 1J lb. You can see that these foreign substances had s small beginning, and then time after time, probabiy from deposits of lime or some mineral in the water, ring on ring of calcareous matter formed. But the most curious fact remains. Two of the large stones seemed to have got together in the gut, and these ground against each other until the inner surface of each sphere became flat. They were found together, flattened face to flattened face. The two smaller stones were apart, and were round. How the poor animal lived, fed, and worked under such circumstances, is a mystery. WORMS IN OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS. There are five comparatively common tapeworms, which, during their larval stages, inhabit the tissues of either cattle or sheep. These are, first, Cysticerus bovis, which is the larval firm of the tapeworm infesting mankind, known as the Tsenia mediocanellata., and which (according to the late Dr Cobbold) is by far the most common tapeworm found in man. Numbers of these larvse situated in the flesh of a beast constitute what is commonly known as measly beef. No. 2 iafests not only cattle and sheep but mankind, horses, monkeys, &e., and is known as the Echinococcus veterinorium, it being the larval form of a tapeworm of the dog called the Tienia echinococcus. A. remarkable feature of this worm is that although the cysts or watery bladders caused by the presence of the larvse often attain an immense size, and frequently cause the death of the animal in which they exist, yet the adult worm as found in the dog is very small, and when full grown is only about one-third of an inch long. No. 3, Ccenurus cerebralis causes the disease known as ‘gid,’ ‘sturdy,’ or * turnsick ’ in sheep. It is the larval stage of another tapeworm, which in its adult state is found in the dog. and is called Ttenia ccenurus. No. 4 is Cysticercus ovis or mutton measle, the adult stage of which is hardly yet recognised. No. 5 is called the Cysticercus tenuicollis, or slender-necked hydatid. It infests both cattle and sheep, as well as various other animals/ including monkeys and man, It is said to pause death sometimes in sheep, by setting up inflammation of the liver, which it frequently infests. J.t develops into the Taenia marginata of the dog, whjph i® one t^ie rr - ost common adult tapeworms in this animal.