Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-28

These often become misshapen from constant
grinding and prevent him from masticating his
food properly, so that he begins to evidence signs
Of under-nourishment. In this event he is led
into hospital stall, his head placed in skilful
appliance that holds his mouth open. and the
army veterinarian proceeds to file or remove his
bad teeth. Fortunately for the horse howevsE,
the nerves of his teeth dead by ~ is
six years old, that all horses that have reached
this age of discretion suffer no pain in having
their teeth treated.
The veterinary corps is important division
of the medical department, under Surgeon-Gen-
eral Gorgas 1t has large personnel, including
1928 officers, 500 officers and 10000
enlisted men, all of whom kept extremely
busy, for there are 100000 horses and mules
serving in the American army.
In Europe the health Of the horse is guarded
carefully it is in this country. He is in
spected at the port of Decentralization, and he is
inspected again when he reaches the mobilization
camp Army veterinarians accompany each d.
vision of horses that goes to the front. When
horse falls in battle and there is no hope for his
recovery, someone is there to shoot him; if his
wound is that will respond to treatment he
is put in horse ambulance and taken to the
train for wounded horses behind the firing line.
This takes him to the nearest horse base hospital
The veterinary surgeons in these horse hos
pitfalls little les than wizards when it comes to
turning a wounded and woebegone horse into
strong, healthy animal Under strong anesthet-
ic-usually choroform-they perform marvellous
operations extracting pieces OF shrapnel from the
most delicate tissues and even mending fractures.
It is the policy to destroy all animals with bone
injuries that apt to make lifelong crlppleS,
since they are no longer or any use to the army,
and if they fell into other hands there is the
sibility that they might be put on heavy work
that would be painful.
This practice is also based more upon
omy than upon sentiment Horse fodder is too
valuable product in war-ridden country to
support a horse in idleness the rest of his life,
and then in Europe horse-nesh itself is an appre-
ciated commodity. The European in thinking the
matter over has decided that the horse is much
cleaner animal than the COW or the hog, and can
for
horse-fesh
new affliction to which horses have
cumbed recently is sheII-shock Army veterina-
rians have been surprised to discover the exist
ence of neuresthenIc horses in this war in about
the proportion as neureSthenic men. Here
tofore. the remarkable courage of the horse un-
der fire has been OF the most important fac
tors in his use in war but now 1t appears that
the horses system is no more invulner-
able than that of man. Hence. the army yeterina-
rian has recently had to add horse-psychology to
the numerous studies attached to his profession
and thus attemtp to weed out the neuresthenic
horses from the army before they get to the
front. There is no cure, by the way, for neu-
resthenic horse; he may respond TO treatment.
but it is useless and even dangerous to put him
back the firing line. That horse must be con
signed to the gentle tGcA OF agriculture Tor the
rest of his life
In addition to the work performed by army
veterinarians, there is private organization,
known as the Blue Gross, which operates IN
France for the and relabilita ton or
wounded horses The first Blue Cross hospital
fer horses was established at Sc que9ux three
months after the outbreak of the war, and after
the British government had refused its assistance
Now there are five such hospitals, to which the
French government passes on its wounded horses
This organization also contributes veterinary
chests for the treatment of horses on the trims
line and other gifts for the beneht of horses
such as portable -1orges. waterproof blankets
canvas water troughs and banddges.
Thus, the salvage of horses has become an i'm
nortant feature of modern warfare The unnec-
essary pain and extravaganza of other wars are
gone for this is a business age in which even war
must be waged with thrift and economy.