The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1852-09-22
From the Working Farmer
Diseases Of Working Horses In
cident on Mismanagement.

dangerous diseases arise from badly Selectt
diet, not only as to kind, but us to quaint
and quality, as well as to time of FEEDING
The rules for these are readily understoo
but from absurd prejudices and carelessne
are often transgressed Over-worxiniy 81,
both young and old horses is productive
disease, and The health Of young ones pc
manrely destroyed by too heavy !abo
which had it been evenly spread over a gre:
ter space of time would have preserve
them in full health for thcualIotted existence
instead OF disspating their entire animi
strength IN SIX or seven years. lnsutiicier
shelter and exposure to wet and cold ar
great sources ofdiseaSe, and although thei
III effects may not be Immediately evident
IT Is sure to be. noticeable at more remot
period. Tempe ature, improperly legula
ted, Is the source Of much disease, and wan
Of care in exposure, even in stables, to pre-
vent chilly and damp draushls, often aes
'Iroys hed!h before the consultation is farl
formed. st'fH "a aa sHztf
s INSUFFICIENT OR IMPROPER FOOD, ,,t
1t is evident to every observer, that tn,
purpose OF food is to supply the necessar,
materials for the growth ottlie bady, to main
tain by It's digestion the proper temperature
for u healthiul, existence, and if the foot
supplied be'of improper composition, it car
not answer these purposes. The stomach
OF tie hor e ls>said to hold about three gal
Ions, while the OK possesses four stomachS
the first OF which alone is larger than that o
the horse; thus whlet the OK is constructed
TO consume large quantities of fodder at d
meal, the horse reqtlips it more frequently
and IN smaller quantities asPeriect mastica-
ton is necessary 20 insure fall digestion, and
also, to supply the mixture of the Si,livary
secretion Of the mouth. During the time Of
feeding, tlli salivary secretion is supplied at
the rate Of two gallons per hour. When in
the stomachs the digestion is carried OH by
the power of the gastric juice, converting tic
mass into soft puIpy chyme, which passes,
AS formed, into the intestinal canatf Ii the
food be consumed in rapid manner with
out mastlcation or admxsure with this sali-
vary secretion, this process is interiercd
with. Long fasting gor over working, produ-
ees this effect, and thus indi isestion occurs
This causes fermentation of the food, olsen
gagemepto of fsses, ana as the horse Can
neither belch up wind, nor vomit up food,
dstentions ensqe. SpaSns and many other
symptoms similar to those which occur in.
excessive colo are aften mistaken for it, .bat
Is IL fact, as called by veterinary surgeons,
acute Indigestion. These changes of the food
in the stomach, when not regulated by the
vital functions. ale similar To those which
skf al e.
posed to the same temperature, and there
lore unhealthy .esuts, incapable Of The as
similatiQn, must occur. The tStlggeys is ali
SO aproducto OF an improper state OF the,stom-
aeh oF The horse. ltis slow in its progress,
and seldom observed uhtil firmly established
Ihe symptoms are a dropping head, i'm.
paired vision, staggering gaitsand sometimes
violent strqggllngs Of the afflicted aninaL
This Is more likely tooccur during the plow-
ing season when animals are too continuous
ly at work, and over gorged with food az
night Horses that are fed too early in the
evening, and too late in the morning, are of
ten troubled with this disease The staggefs
is not contagious, but when one horse in the
stable has this disease, all others are likely
TO have it from the same cause, and not
from contagion. By mix ure of the chyme
with the hepatic aad p5noreatic secretious, h
it's converted into chyts which is passed on
by the creeping action Or peiistalic motion
ofthe smaller intestines into the larger ones, /
and during this travel is acted on by set Of
vessels called tactaeis, whose oriices occupy
all these surfaces fordhe purpose of absors
bing all the nutrilivc parts. ihe same alb |
sorbition occurs in the larger intestines, only
Tire mass acted on is restrained in the colon /
for Finger period, during which time its |
nutritious parts are finally separated and abb
sorbed, and the less valuable or excremen-
ttIous portions 'areexpellcd at the rectum.
During this time the anids wee have before
named, penetrates the mass Of partly diges,s
ted food. and enables this separation 10, take
place between the nutritious ana the excre-
msntitious parts. Il, however, by improper
feeding, fbrous or fermentable materials ne
main undigested in either the, large or the
small intestines, Irritation and disease ensue,l
thus the colon or'big gut, isfrequenty packs
ed with 6brous matter, which, on being eyac-
luated BY the assistance of medicines, prove
tobe nnmasticated. and composed Of theI
chat aHd husls of oats, never transformed
into chyrae, and therefore never digested,, -- |
These diseases often arise from feeding with |
the husks qf grain shalfrotted clov-r, wealth.
er-beaten hay lnoudy and rusty hay cover
ed with pasastical. groyths, ,shrlpken and
tbrous turnips. and many other similarly ins
digeshblr Raterials, give rise to yisceral pams
n. Il. r. Al