The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-11-02

A Horses Sense of Smell.
Horse and Stable.

The horse will leave musty hay untouched
in his bin, no matter how hungry. He
will not drink of water Objectionable to his
questioning shifts or from bucket which
some other odor makes offensive, however
thirsty. His intelligent nostril will widen,
quiver and query over the daintiest bit
offered by the fairest of hands. A mare
is never satisfied by either sight or whinny
that her colt is really her own until she has
certified the fact by means of her nose.
Blind horses, as rule, will gallop wildly
| about pasture without striking the sur
rounding fence. The sense of smell informs
them of its proximity Others will, when
loosened from the stable, go directly to the
gate or bars opening to their accustomed
feeding grounds; and when desiring to re-
turn, after hours of careless wandering, will
distinguish the one outlet and patiently
await its opening. The odor of that par
tieular part of the fence is their guide to
it. The horse in browsing, or while gath
ering herbage with his lips, is guided in its
choice of proper food entirely by its nostrils.
Blind horses do not make mistakes in their
diet In the temple of Olympus bronze
horse was exhibited, at the sight of which
six real horses experienced the most violent
emotions. 4Elian judiciously observes that
the most perfect art could not initiate ma
ture sufficiently well to produce so perfect
an illusion. Like Pliny and Pausanias, he
consequently afirms that sin casting the
statue magician had thrown hippomanes
upon it. which, BY the odor of the plant,
deceived the horses, and therein we have
the secret of the miracle The scent alone
of buffalo robe will cause many horses to
evince lively terror, and the floating scent
Of railway train win frighten some long
after the engine is out of sight and hearing.
The Art of Prolonging Life.
Dr. Robson Roose in Popular Science Monthly
Exercise is essential to the preservation
of health; inactivity is a potent cause of
wasting and degeneration. The vigor and
equality of the circulation, the functions Of
the skin, and the aeration of the blood, are
all promoted by muscular activity, which
thus keeps up proper balance and relation
between the important organs of the body
In youth, the vigor of the system is often
so great that if one organ be sluggish
another part will make amends for the de-
ficiency BY acting vicariously, and without
any consequent damage to itself In old
age the tasks cannot be thus shifted from
one organ to another; the work allotted to
each sufficiently taxes its strength, and
viearious action cannot be performed with
out mischief Hence the Importance Of
maintaining, as far as possible, the equable
action Of all the bodily organs, so that the
share Of the vital processes assigned to each
shall be properly accomplished. For this
reason exercise is an important part of the
COZ luct Of life in old age: but discretion is
absolutely necessary. An old man should
discover by experience how much exercise
he can take without exhausting his powers,
and should be careful never to exceed the
limit. Old persons are apt to forget that
their staying powers are much less than
they once were, and that, while walk Of
two or three miles may prove easy and
pleasurable, the addition of return jour
ney Of similar length win seriously overtax
the strength