Arizona republican., 1901-10-05
A JUDICIAL VETERINARIAN
He Delivers an Opinion Concerning
 Balky Horses.

as a veterinarian roams over two con- tinents. is selling receipts for curing 1 balky horses at sao each. His first pa
 tron was James Latourette. well known as a cattleman, a freighter and a gen. l tleman with an extensive though, 1t 1 trans pires, a crude experience with horses. About a week ago some women i living near MT. Latourettes residence were mortified at his vigorous method | of disciplining his stock. They com plained that he used an ax handle without sufficient provocation. and on their complaint a warrant for his ar rest was issued. MT. Latourette was out of town when the constable went to serve it. and has only recently re- turned.
 day and admitted that the ladies wers net victims of an optical illusion. In his opinion. though. they were not conn., petent to judge what should be done in such an emergency as that in which he found himself when he summoned the trusty ax handle to his aid He offered in extenuation that his team was composed of a horse and a mule. each with a mind of it's own. They "set back" he said. so that their co,- lars ceased to fit. It became necessary
 
 adjustment of their collars. ru. also that some progress might be made with the loaded wagon. The proper thing to- use In a case of that kind. MT. I4a tourette said was a shovel, but as none was immediately at hand he had re- course to the Ix handle. He employed It until he noticed that the animals were beginning to look unprepossessiny from loss of hair and skin. He seized an equally effective and less disfgur- ing Instrument and the horse and null, ''set up'' and filled the collar. MT. La tourette said that he saw no other course open: if he had adopted any other that horse and mule would have been there yet. and no doubt would have remained there through all eter- nifty.
 Justice Burnett said there was notii- ng for him to do but accept this statc- ment as a plea of guilty; the law makers had wisely provided that those who beat horses might be punished by a fine of $250. and in the opinion of the court that was very moderate pun ishment CMr. Latourette started in alarn). but the court proceeded to say that inasmuch as public opinion was not yet educated up to his views on the subject of horse beating he would im- pose fine of only $20.
 It was then that he gave Mir. Latour- 'ette the recipe for removing from horses and mules the steadfastness of opinion sometimes entertained by these animals. It was discovered some years age by veterinarian in Ireland. was was communicated by hir1 to Justice Burnett and was scared on his brain, where the scar would remain. forever The discovery was the logical result nf a dfo 4f tbo< called balkiness. A balky hose. like some men. can entertain only a single idea at che time. The horse gets an idea that his load is too heavy or else that he has been misused in some way by bis driver. No amount of beating can Fdivest him of this notion. The old and time honored plans of building a fire under him or of pulling his tongue out by the roots have also been gen. orally found to be ineffective. The way discovered by the Irish veterinarian Ia as follows: Open the horses mouth and with a small knife blade or sonic ether sharp instrument make an incis- ion in the fifth ridge found lying trahs- versely in the roof of the mouth. The operation is accompanied by no pap worth mentioning but the wound will bleed very freely. The horse must swallow and keep swallowing very fast m Oruer 10 avoid Stranglfng by his own blood. He becomes so mush engrossed in his new occupation that he forgets his original controversy with his driver and moves forward.
 Mir. Latourette copied the rccIpe carefully and put the $20 document III an inside pocket. A horseman to whom Mir Latourette afterward showed the recipe recognized 1t as a specific for the cure of bots, taught him by his father more than fifty years ago. Is was the opinion of this horseman that Justice Burnett had got his prescrip- tions for the various diseases of the horse confounded. and in that case N-. Latourette could institute an action against him for the recovery. of his money.
 Mir. Latourette went back to ex- change the bots recipe for a balky horse remedy. The justice was unable to find any in his veterinary collection but insisted that the prescription was equally good for bots. balky horses. ringbone curb or spavin. In order however, to satisfy Mir. Latourette he threw in a recipe for the successful treatment of the contracted hoof. hitn- erto believed to be an incurable ai:- ment.