, 1872-11-18
THE HORSES.
The Epizootic Disappearing, and
the Dropsy Not Liable
to Prevail.
Opinion Of Veterinary Surgeons on
the Question Of Giving Horses
Gentle Exercise.

| The best veterinary authorities IN the city,
| such as Drs, Withers, Hofolk, and BouVett,
seem to be Of unanimous opinion that the dropsy
will not prevail to any great extent in Chicago.
They recommend great caution in using horses,
selecting only those for labor whose appetitea
have returned, whose constitutions are strong,
and which seem daily improving in general
| condition. Az m Offset against defective judg-
ment, they recommend that all horses be very
lightly worked, and not exposed to damp wealth
or. They seem to agree that light labor, where
the horse seems to improve under it, will but
facilitate his restoration to his usual
vigor, and enable him the sooner to discharge
the mucus from his throat and head. But il tho
labor he performs seems to weaken him in tbs
! least, then be ought either to be stabbed 0: hts
| work be reduced. Z
| DR.. Withers says that exercise, when q horse
is convalescing lis medicine; that without it, dis
eases will be perpetuated and become compli-
Gated. Therefore he believes the only question
to be- how much exercise do our horses demand.
The answer to this. OF course. will bo that the
amount Of exercise must bo regulated according
to the condition Of the horse. Some are in such
| state that they demand only walk up and
down the barn, while others are actually made
frsky by drive Of two miles Or more. Now, il
owners Of horses will use judgment in
tho amount of exercise given the animals, the
effect will be beneficial rather than hurtful.
The result of long experience and the present
condition OF the horses, sustain this theory.
Dropsy has afflicted more animals which have
been withheld from labor than those which have
been reharnessed and put into their old tracks,
IT, ie q disease which follows in the wake OF
ever y disease which tends to thin their blood,
and CSC be easily avoided by judicious treat
rnant ,Yorees must not be exercised too much
neither 20 fttlo. 90 that if d:epEy shall pre-
vail any eSten f I} it will nzal; either be
thoae horses viii. u haye weak constitutions, OF
the resnIt Of defe, tiye judgment or abuse, in
giving oonyalescing q. .7imals too much exercise.
4 General circuit OF to Rtebles yesterday did
not show that the dropsy - on The increase. The
general statement made by o"neFs OF Puned-
indeed, horsemen generally secuted at the
opinion Of DR.. Branson, as given III yesterdays
TRIBUNE, and said that the Development OF the
dropsy among their epizootic patient ~ WAS NOM
ing more than they had anticipated. Ingy seem
much unconcerned about the matter, behev1ng
it will only attack those animals which nave
defective constitutions.
a TRIBUNE reporter yesterday visited some
dropsical animals at the South Side Railway
barn, and reports that they are improving. One
horse died Of the disease, and four are yet
afflicted. dropsical horse looks much like the
pictures of that animal which school children
delight to sketch upon their states. There is
laughable yet distressing, disproportion between
every part. The legs are without form, and
twice their usual size; the body is generally thin
and gaunt, while the head is swollen to round
ball. It would excite pity in a heart Of stone to
see these poor creatures in that condition.
BY Wednesday We shall be able to know how
far the facts will sustain the theories above
given. Dropsy is not a disease which develops
like tho epizootic; but, unfortunately, being
slow, it ia generally Buro-to kill.
LETTER FROM E. II. HALE, II. D.
TO the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune:
SIR: send you little information about the
treatment Of the horse influenza. It may not now be
Of particular value In the city, but it may be in the
country. When the disease first appeared collected
history Of its manifestations and studied 1t up, rs
would disease occurring in man: The symptoms and
conditions pointed Enthusiastically to the remedies which
believed would oct as prophyacics. When my three
had administered to them carbolic acid, one-tenth
of grain every six hours, and iodde Of
arsenic, one-hundrcdth Of grain every si1 nours,
giving them in alternation-in their food. This s
the fourteenth day, and my patients are doing we'll
The slight cough Is disappearing, they have had no
fever, discharge from the head, no difficulty Of
breathng, and have not missed meal They were fed
On soft, warm food, and kept blanketed and in the
stable have purchased the same for the horses Of
my patrons and with similar good results Every ply
siciau should treat his horses, and consider it
humane duty, and not at al undgnihed, to prescribe
equine PATIENTS and keep them out Of tho hands Of
barbarous veterinary quacks. E. II HALE, II. D.
CHICAGO, NoT. 16, 1872.