Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-12-06
AarifnItural.

The LAmpAs IN HoRsEs.-A correspondent
of the New-York Spirit Of the Times IN
quires as to the burning for the lampas, AM
whether that was the only cure for it. With
the hope that..we may perhaps save one hors'
from the unnecessary and terrible torture Oh
the burning-iron, we undertake to reply =
Burning for the lampas is as good and hui
name remedy as is sufocation between two
feather beds for hydrophobia-but have been
practised by the ignorant, and both are ct
fectual. The horse, to be sure, survives tho
infiction, while the feather-bed patient IS
bound to die. Both of these barbarous rem
edies (?) have long been discarded BY civilized
and intelligent men,. We have occasionally
had cases of this complaint in our stable
and have always attributed it to overlooking.
But in no single case, however bad, within
our knowledge and experience, has it resisted
course of bran mashes, continued for day
or two; with the addition, in one or two In
stances, Of purgative of salts or aloes.-
The first thought of our farm hands always
was, to take the animal to the blacksmith's
to be burned.) Youatt says =" The bars
occasionally swell and rise to y level with,
aud even beyond, the edge Of the teeth
They are very sore, and the horse feeds bad
ly on account of the pain he suffers from the
pressure of the food on them. This is called
the lampas. 1t may arise from Inflammation
of the gums, propagated to the bars, when
the horse is shedding his teeth-and young
horses are more subject to it than others--or
from some slight febrile tendency in the con-
stitution generally; as when young horse
has lately been taken up from grass, and has
been over fed or not sufficiently exercised
At times, it appears in aged horses; for the
progress of growth in the teeth of the horse
is continued during the whole life of the ami
NAL. In majority of cases. the swelling
will soon subside without medical treatment,
or a few mashes and gentle alternatives will
relieve the animal. A few slight missions
across the bars with lancet or penknife will
relieve the inflammation and cause the SWELL
ing to subside indeed this scarifcaton Of
the bars in lampas will seldom harm, although
it is far from being so necessary as is sup
posed. The brutal custom of the farrier, who
scars and burns down the bar with red-hot
iron. is most Objectionable. 1t is torturiug
the horse to no purpose, and rendering that
part callous on the delicate sensibility Of
which all the safety and pleasure of riding
and driving depend. 1t may be prudent in
case of lampas, to examine the grinders, and
more particularly the tushes in order to as
certain whether either of them is making its
way through the gum. IF it is so, two in.
cisions across each other should be made on
the tooth, and the horses will experience i'm.
mediate relief" In lancing the gum for a
coming tooth, It's much better to nick the
gum at the side rather than upon the edge
above the advancing tooth. This is practiced
with young children by most physicians
Any one troubled with tender and swollen
instep can comprehend the rationale of this
If he cuts his boot upon the point of press
ure, he finds the foot putting up more and
more but when he makes few missions or
either side of the boot, near the sole, The
pressure ceases, and his instep is at once re
ed.-Practical Farmer.