FACTS AND FALLACIES 
IN 
VETERINARY SCIENCE; 
Oli 
What the Farmers Should Know About 
Diseases of Animals. 
MY 
NOAH CR12SSY. M.D.. Y.S., Pn. D„ 
Formerly Statk Veterinary SruuKoN, Professor <>f Veterinary 
soikm k, M vss. Aokici’i.tikai College, and Lecturer on 
Veterinary Medicine in the Pnivkrsity 
of Vermont. 
HARTFORD, CONN. 
AN 
ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE THE CONNECTICUT BOARD 
of Agriculture. 
HARTFORD, CONN.: 
Press of The Case, Lockwood & Bkainakd Company. 
1881. [From the Report of the Secretary of Conn. Board-of Agriculture, 1881.] 
FACTS AND FALLACIES IN VETERINARY SCIENCE. 
In every department of physical science, there are certain facts 
which underlie all possible deductions. Every conclusion, there- 
fore, worthy of scientific recognition, must be based on said facts, 
and serve as an explanation of them. Accordingly an accepted 
theory, among scientific men, is but the rightful interpretation of 
all existing facts in relation to the subject. Astronomy, chemis- 
try, and biology are teeming with illustrations of such established 
principles. All of which, however, differ in a marked degree from 
an hypothesis that is based upon mere assumptions, and therefore 
often found to be fallacious on further investigations. Conse- 
quently a fallacy is a deceptive conclusion, drawn from the imagi- 
nation of its author. 
Nowhere are faulty methods of reasoning more frequently met 
with than in the practice of the Healing Art; and this is largely 
duo to the system of education by which the votaries have thus 
attempted to Gt themselves for this ennobling work. In fact the 
difference between a true and empirical method of curing disease 
depends wholly upon the degree of intelligence which the practi- 
tioner may possess. If the physician has all the necessary facts 
in relation to the anatomy and pathology of the malady in question, 
the therapeutical indications aro easy of conception, and this treat- 
ment, therefore, is practically the result of a scientific conclusion. 
But the quack, whose scanty knowledge of disease rarely enables 
him to distinguish one ailment from another, can never give an 
intelligent reason wdiy he uses a certain remedy, or what effect it 
may produce. Hence a system of practice, either in human or 
veterinary medicine, which is not based upon the established prin- 
ciples of biological science, is fallacious in theory and dangerous in 
its consequences. 
The crude notions of disease, so frequently exemplified in the 
practice of the uneducated farrier, arc almost invariably the gift of 
a fertile imagination, rather than the result of any pathological in- 
vestigations. It therefore behooves us in the study of the Veteri- 
nary Art, to lay broad the foundation of knowledge, and thus 
BY NOAII CRESSY, M.D., V.8., Pii.D., HARTFORD, CONN. 2 
inquire into the real nature and cause of the malady, before 
searching the materia medica for a cure. This will require a gen- 
eral knowledge of structure and of the anatomical relations of 
parts, before any facts, in a pathological point of view, can have 
the slightest bearing on the question of treatment. For instance 
how can a farrier diagnose and successfully treat a case of pneumo- 
nia, in its various stages, who has no knowledge of the real struc- 
ture of the lungs nor of the circulation of the blood. Hence, the 
importance of 
COMPARATIVE ANATOMY. 
A general knowledge of the mechanism and physiology of the 
animal body is absolutely essential for the discrimination of disease. 
The location and phenomena of symptoms cannot be accurately in- 
terpreted without an intimate acquaintance with the structure and. 
functions of the internal organs. A case of acute nephritis, 
therefore, m%ht easily be mistaken for an inflammation of other 
abdominal viscera. All these maladies would appear mysterious, 
and to the uneducated eye, essentially the same. In fact those 
characteristic symptoms of specific and organic disease would have 
no meaning to one not familiar with the general organism. 
Much quackery would cease, and many fallacies concerning the 
nature and seat of disease must inevitably be dispelled from the 
public mind by the general diffusion of anatomical knowledge. 
The comparative relations of the joints and parts of animals, to 
those of man, are not well understood, especially, by those most 
interested in the care of stock. This want of knowledge has, 
many times, led to fallacious conclusions, which have served as a 
barrier in the pathway of veterinary progress. But the popular 
demand for those practical facts which a knowledge of anatomy 
alone can give, are propitious omens in the canopy of our profes- 
sion, and thus indicate the future trend of all such needed 
inquiries. 
The relation of man to the higher mammalia, which has caused 
so much speculation among philosophers and naturalists on certain 
zoological affinities, is especially interesting and instructive in an 
anatomical point of view. The skeletal framework and internal 
organization of our domestic animals are morphologically identi- 
cal with the structure of the human body, and thus subserve the 
same purpose in the animal economy. The limb3 are similar in 
mechanical design, are made up of the same kind of bones and 
joints, and are therefore subject to analogous diseases from expo- 3 
sure and accidents. Hence the necessity of more carefully study- 
ing the structure of animals, that we may better understand the 
nature and situation of the difficulty in every creature that we are 
called upon to relieve. This leads us therefore very naturally to 
inquire into the 
Homology of Bones and Joints. 
Though all vertebrate animals are built upon the same general 
plan of structure, yet we find a modification of this plan in the 
four great classes known as fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammals, 
o fit them for their several spheres in life.* But the special details 
of structure on which genera are founded are well illustrated by 
the variety of form in the limbs of quadrupeds. 
In all animals which crop their forage from the ground, and 
thus use the legs simply as pedestals, have no necessity for that 
power of rotation in the fore arm, which man and carnivorous 
animals possess in such a marked degree, as organs of prehension. 
The radius and ulna therefore have grown together, in accordance 
with nature’s law of economy and strength, both in the horse and in 
all animals that chew their cud. This anatomical fact has enabled 
the geologist to predict the herbivorous character of a fossil spe- 
cies from a single bone. But in the hog these bones are not uni- 
ted, yet they are so closely adjusted that the power of pronation 
and supernation has been lost. 
The cannon bone of ruminants furnish another very interesting 
fact, and one that is of equal importance to the paleontologist 
in determining the character of a fossil animal. This round bone 
of the leg, unlike any other in the animal kingdom, contains two 
marrow cavities which result from the union of the third and 
fourth metacarpal bones in the anterior extremity, and of the met- 
atarsals behind. This is indicated by the double articulation 
which it makes with the two phalangial rows, contained in the 
claws of the divided hoof. In the embryonic stages the cannon 
bone readily divides into its two component parts, but at birth 
they cannot be separated in any of the ruminating animals. In 
swine, however, these two corresponding bones do not unite 
though always in close contact with each other. 
Accordingly the forward foot of the hog represents a human 
hand, with the exception of a thumb. The two toes, therefore* 
* See Maclise’s Comparative Osteology, or the Marphology of the Ver- 
tebrate Skeleton, illustrated folio, London, 1847. 4 
which these animals and all others with a divided hoof walk upon, 
correspond to our middle and ring fingers, and the bones in the 
dew-claws represent the index and little finger. 
In the horse, however, the cannon bone is single, and has 
but one toe, which represents the middle phalangial row of the hu- 
man hand. Morphologically the nail is the hoof, and the three 
bones of the finger are known by the veterinarian as the coffin, 
coronet, and pastern. The larger knuckle of the hand, therefore, 
is the fetter lock joint of the horse, and the wrist the forward 
knee. The elbow is represented by that projecting point, on the 
back of the leg, close to the chest, where “ shoe-balls ” occur. 
The hind leg also, has some peculiarities in its mechanism that 
become very interesting points in the treatment of disease. The 
hock-joint, which is delicately constructed, and so frequently the 
seat of lameness from a sprain, answers in an anatomical point of 
view to the instep of man, though its relative position to the 
ground has been very much changed.* In view, therefore, of the 
comparative relations of limbs, we shall find, much to the surprise 
of the casual observer, that the stifle-joint corresponds, in every 
particular, with the human knee, and consequently the stifle bone, 
so often dislocated by accident, is the homologue of the patella or 
knee-pan. The necessity, therefore, of a thorough knowledge of 
these anatomical facts to aid one in the diagnosis and proper treat- 
ment of those obscure joint difficulties, is now apparent to all, and 
its importance cannot be over-estimated in behalf of a scientific 
practice in this department of the Healing Art. 
Dentition of Domestic Animals. 
The teeth belong to the digestive system, and though firm, hard 
substances, and even implanted in the maxillary bones, yet they are 
no part of the osseous skeleton. They are developed from the 
mucous membrane along the walls of the anterior portion of the 
alimentary canal, and thus serve as the mechanical agents in the 
division and preparation of the food. The teeth, therefore, are 
adapted in the carnivorous animals for seizing and tearing flesh; 
while in the herbivora, they are modified to suit the changed con- 
dition of the creature. In fact, almost every conceivable grada- 
tion of purpose may be served by these important organs in the 
economy of the different orders, genera, and species of mammals. 
* See Owen On Nature of Limbs, 8vo, London, 1849. 5 
In the walrus, or sea-cow, we find a pair of tushes developed to 
such an extent that they are used as organs of locomotion when the 
animal is basking upon the shore; and the fossil dinotherium of 
the tertiary epoch evidently used a similar pair of front teeth on 
the lower jaw, as a means of anchorage. 
The beaver, like the carpenter with his tools, diligently applies 
his gnawing teeth to the wood, and thus prepares, and by the same 
means transports the building material for his dam. 
The elephant and the musk-deer have well developed teeth, that 
are employed as weapons of defence, while the hyena and the dog 
show their glistening ivory when in rage, and use the same as 
weapons of combat. 
Nowhere is the secondary use of the teeth more evidently dis- 
played than in man, where they not only contribute to beauty, 
but to his inimitable power of speech. 
Hence, the teeth are important in a zoological point of view, 
and greatly aid in the classification of animals.* So intimate are 
the relations of these organs to the general economy and habits of 
an individual, that the naturalist is often enabled to determine the 
position of a fossil creature, in the scale of being, by the teeth alone: 
and not unfrequently these are the only relics to be found to 
mark the existence of some huge monster, whose skeleton has 
mouldered back to dust. 
The le organs are composed of three distinct anatomical elements, 
known as the dentine, the enamel, and the crusta-petrosa. The first 
was so named by Prof. Owen of London, in 1835.f It forms the bulk 
of the tooth, and is very firm and solid; hence it has been called the 
bone of the tooth. A modified form of it, as seen in the tusk of 
the elephant, is called ivory. It is made up of a series of minute 
tubes and cells, with earthy particles interposed. The dentine of 
the higher mammals is unvascular, but its nutrition is carried on 
by means of these tubes connecting with the pulp. 
The enamel is the hardest substance in the animal body, and 
consists of earthy matter deposited in an organized matrix. It 
forms a perfect sheath around the dentine, except in the lower por- 
tion of the root. In man and the carnivorous animals, it perma- 
nently covers the crown, but in the herbivora, wdiere the teeth are 
long and gradually wear away, it soon becomes denuded. Here it 
* For further details consult article on Teeth in Cyc. Anat. & Phys., 
vol. 4th, London, 1852. 
f Transactions of Zoological Society. 6 
takes on anew form, being folded upon itself, and in the grinding- 
teeth, it presents a peculiar appearance, interspersed with dentine. 
In the front teeth of the horse it forms a deep cavity, known as 
the infundibulum, or “ the mark ” so frequently alluded to by vet- 
erinarians, in determining the age of an animal. 
The crusta-petrosa is a hard bone-like substance, which covers 
that portion of the teeth within the jaw. In its structure and 
manner of growth it resembles the osseous tissue more than either 
of the dental elements. It varies greatly in quantity on different 
teeth, and is not uniform on different parts of the same tooth. 
It is the thickest at the end of the fang ; and where it covers the 
enamel it appears like a thin layer of cement, which name also has 
been applied to it by various authors. This fills the bottom of the 
infundibula, and forms an oval island in the sack of the enamel, 
which is well seen in comparing the “ marks ” of five, six, and 
seven year old horses. As the teeth wear away the nerve begins to 
recede from the crown, and this cavity also is filled with cement, 
which makes the “ dental star ” in the lower incisors, at about 
twelve years of age. 
There is a great variety in the form and number of teeth in dif- 
ferent animals, and in all cases, there seems to be a special adap- 
tation to their use in nature. The relation therefore that one kind 
of dentition holds to another becomes exceedingly interesting, 
especially as we review the order of succession, and thus endeavor 
to explain upon zoological principles 
The Origin of “Wolf-Teeth.” 
Naturalists are agreed that the typical set of mammalian teeth 
are forty-four, and these anatomists have divided into four distinct 
series. The front teeth, on account of their nearly uniform shape 
in all animals, have been designated the incisors, and vary in num- 
ber from two to six; the next in order backward, are the canines, 
or bridle-teeth of the horse; then comes the four premolars, and 
lastly the three molars, as here represented : 
Incisors, |-f-§ ; canine, premolars, |-|—|; molars, 3+§=44. 
This formula represents the teeth equally divided above and 
below, and upon the right and left side. But all animals do not 
possess this number. Man has only thirty-two, and comparing 
them with the typical set, we find that the outer incisors in both 
jaws are lost, the canines are in place, and so are the molars, but of 7 
the premolars, only two are present, and these are known as the 
bicuspids. 
In the horse and ruminants we find the molars and three of the 
premolars, making the six grinders, present; and not unfrequently 
the first milk-molar in a rudimentary form, which may be called a 
supernumerary, or better known among horse-men as the <l wolf 
tooth.” These are always present as germs, at least in the lower 
jaw, and sometimes developed there, but almost invariably to be 
seen on the upper-jaw, just in front of the grinders, as shown in 
the following diagram of the deciduous teeth of the horse, ox, 
and sheep and swine. 
Incisors, ; canine, l+l i molars, f-|-|=:32. 
By comparing these two formulas we perceive that the perma- 
nent incisors and canines replace the corresponding milk-teeth, and 
that the second, third, and fourth premolars take the place of the 
deciduous molars, so called. The first milk-molar is not numeric- 
ally replaced by the second growth of teeth, inasmuch as there are 
but three premolars in any living animal; though Prof. Owen 
claims that the hog has a complete set. But there is evidently 
some mistake about the dentition of the Suidae, as I shall endeav- 
or to show further on.* 
I 
This peculiar denticle which horse jockeys claim is the cause of 
sore eyes, blindness, and other ophthalmic troubles, is simply an un- 
shed milk-tooth, always to be seen in the colt’s mouth, and not 
unfrequently in the full-grown horse. The occasional presence, 
therefore, of this diminutive tooth, with the permanent set, only 
illustrates the law of reversion, and should be looked upon in a 
zoological, rather than in a pathological point of view. 
Professor Leidy of Philadelphia has found in his well known 
osteological researches concerning the extinct mammalian fauna 
of Dakota and Nebraska, that the Anchitheridan family of soli- 
peds, now found fossil iu the Mauvaises Terres, had a similar den- 
tition to the horse ; thus showing that this noble animal, in its 
paleontological lineage antedates the lapse of historic time. 
Hence the wolf-tooth becomes an interesting relic in the study of 
natural history. The various diseases of the eye, therefore sup- 
posed to be caused by this nerveless tooth, must have prevailed 
throughout a long geological period, before the advent of man or 
the introduction of the dental art. 
* See Owen’s Odontography, London, 1845. 8 
It is not a little singular that the farriers of this country, who 
almost invariably claim to have found this dental rudiment so 
very troublesome in the horse, have not paused in their pretended 
search for facts, to inquire whether similar diseases did not exist 
in other domestic animals, where these wolf-teeth were quite as 
prevalent. 
In swine the first decidous molar is well developed, and occupies 
a medium place between the tusk and the second premolar of the 
permanent set. It is always present in our fattened pigs, but 
rarely found in the wild hog, on account of their voracious habits 
in obtaining food, by which means these tenderly-rooted teeth 
soon release their hold. Seeing a difference in dentition, therefore, 
in the adult animal, Cuvier was led in his classification to separate 
the domesticated varieties from the feral species. This observation, 
however, was soon corrected by other naturalists, and the hog is 
now looked upon as the only animal in existence that has a typical 
set of forty-four teeth. But this conclusion is fallacious, and its 
elucidation will throw new light on the '• wolf-tooth ” question. 
According to the typical formula of deciduous teeth, swine, 
horses, ruminants, and dogs have a complete set, or their corre- 
sponding germs. All these, when developed, are displaced by 
those of the permanent set, except the first molar on each side, 
above and below. The second, third, and fourth premolars, there- 
fore, take the place of the last three milk molars; and in no exist- 
ing animal is the first premolar present, but it has been found 
in the Elotherium and other fossil mammals. Consequently the 
so called “ wolf-teeth” exist, for a while, in every animal that had 
a complete set of deciduous molars. 
The hog, therefore, has not a typical number of teeth as natural- 
ists have claimed, but, like the horse, has only forty in the second 
dentition. Though the shoat has forty-four in his mouth at 
a given time, yet the four small ones back of the tusks are milk 
teeth that have not been shed, and are in every respect hom- 
ologous with those noted ones in the horse, and would bear 
the same relations in position with the grinders were the 
premolars in the hog as well developed. In the two-year- 
old colt these denticles are always to be found, especially on 
the upper jaw, and not unfrequently in the lower one, or the 
germs are there, the same as m calves and lambs. 
Thus we perceive that these wolf-teeth have a wide zoological 
range ; and as there is no reason upon anatomical grounds why 9 
they should be more troublesome in one animal than another, let 
us now review in detail some of the more salient points in 
their supposed 
Pathological Significance. 
At an early age in veterinary lore, when the diseases of the eye 
were but imperfectly understood, the farriers, for want of real 
knowledge on the subject, were led to attribute this frequent 
ophthalmic phenomena to some strange cause. The presence, 
therefore, of these diminutive teeth in the mouth of an afflicted 
animal that were of no conceivable use whatever, caused them to 
be looked upon with not a little curiosity. They sought an explan- 
ation of this seemingly dental freak of nature, but their limited 
knowledge of anatomy gave no clue to the mystery. These teeth 
were frequently met with as an accompaniment of periodic 
ophthalmia and other forms of sore eyes, and, believing that 
nothing was ever made in vain, they at last conceived that these 
worthless denticles were the real cause of the trouble. 
Accordingly this view of the subject has been handed down 
with increasing confidence, from one generation of horsemen to 
another, without ever stopping to inquire into the nature of the 
malady in question, or the imaginary facts upon which this theory 
was founded. Hence it is not strange that a horse in this country 
is now rarely purchased without first examining the mouth for 
wolf-teeth, from fear that the animal sooner or later may become 
blind. But the horse-jockey is not alone in this delusion. Mem- 
bers of the regular medical profession, and not a few professed 
veterinarians, have lent their influence in this direction, until it 
has become the popular belief throughout the length and breadth 
of our land. 
Now what are the facts which would seem to justify such 
an erroneous conclusion; and why have not rational men seen this 
fallacy long ago, and thus sought a real explanation of the mat- 
ter ? There can be no excuse for such a course, and this lament- 
able ignorance among our people only illustrates the importance of 
a better system of education for the sons of the soil, in every 
state where stock-raising has become the leading traffic. 
Hence I have felt it my duty, on every occasion for the last ten 
years, to protest against this system of quackery, but thus far I 
have found but little assistance among educated men; and this 
is why I have thus attempted to call public attention to the 10 
subject, in hopes that the facts in the case may be better under- 
stood. 
As every colt has a pair of wolf-teeth on the upper jaw, a 
large majority of which are shed with the milk molars, at three 
years of age, it is therefore evident that only a small proportion of' 
horses could ever be troubled with this peculiar form of blindness'. 
But this is not the case. All horses are subject to occasional 
attacks of sore eyes, whether they have these wolf-teeth 
not; and if these wonderful teeth are not the cause of at leSfet 
nine-tenths of the cases that occur, why need we suppose that the 
remainder are in any way attributable to the presence of these 
dental rudiments in the jaw, when the history, symptoms, and 
necessary treatment in a given number of cases are all the same. 
Furthermore, an acute inflammation of the membranes of the 
eye is often of an epizootic character, periodic in its invasions, and 
thus attacks a large number of animals at once. It accordingly 
comes and goes with the seasons, and the degree of severity 
is not so much due to the condition of the horse as it i$. to 
the amount of exposure, and the inclemency of the weather/for 
an animal in any condition is liable to become involved in such 
a distemper. Hence I trust all will admit that the cause in 
question is atmospheric, rather than of dental origin. 
If wolf-teeth are ever the efficient cause, the trouble should be 
permanent, unless they are at once removed. But as the majority 
of these cases are of short duration, and readily yield to treatment, 
regardless of the teeth, we cannot therefore ascribe any very 
marvelous cure to their accidental removal. Consequently we 
should expect to find all wolf-teeth associated with some chronic 
disease of the eye, like cataract, but unfortunately for the argu- 
ment this is not the case, as many old horses still retain them and 
have perfect vision. On the other hand, many cases of the 
opacity of the lense have occurred where no such dental cause 
could be found. 
Accordingly this wolf-tooth delusion must now take its allotted 
place in the history of the past, and this quackish dental art can 
no longer be considered that ophthalmic panacea, which centuries 
of horsemen have firmly believed in, and is endorsed by many of 
them to-day. 
Fallacies About Disease. 
Without a knowledge of the fundamental principles of path- 
ology and its kindred branches of science, disease cannot be 11 
investigated nor its real nature understood. In every morbid 
action there is an abnormal condition of the system or of certain 
parts. Any inquiries therefore pertaining to the character of 
a given malady, necessitate a previous knowledge of the structure 
and function of the parts involved, without which every con- 
clusion must be questionable. Hence the many existing fallacies 
about the nature and causation of disease that have no founda- 
tion in fact, but have crept into popular favor and practice through 
lack of professional ability on the part of those who pretend to be 
qualified veterinarians. In passing, therefore, we shall notice 
some of the more familiar examples to which these remarks will 
apply. 
Anchylosis of Joints, 
An osseous deposit around the pastern joint as ring- 
bone. It greatly interferes with the motion of the joint, and often 
causes a severe form of lameness. The disease may arise in 
various ways, but it is usually the result of an inflammation of 
the extremities of the bones, and of their articulating surfaces, 
either from direct injuries or a strain. 
Synovitis and periostitis are therefore the inevitable result of 
an injured joint. Bony matter is deposited upon the inflamed 
surface, and thus a complete osseous union or an anchylosis of 
the joint at last occurs. This new formation gives rise to the 
enlargement, a ring of bone, which by all efforts to cure can 
never be removed. Consequently a cured ringbone is where the 
upper and lower pasterns have grown together, and where there is 
no motion of the joint, and if the bunch is not large, all lameness 
will cease. Hence the only rational method of cure consists 
in hastening this bony union, and this can best be done by 
the free use of the blister and the firing-iron. 
But there are many vague notions about this disease that have 
long been received by the uneducated farrier, as an explanation of 
the difficulty. “ Leakage of the joint” is now the more com- 
monly accepted opinion among horsemen. While certain quacks 
in want of a nice little surgical job, claim that “ringbone is 
caused by a bladder, situated behind the joint that feeds it,” and 
therefore its immediate extraction is the only curative means to 
be employed. Such fallacies need only to be pointed out to be 
discarded, and with the true anatomical explanation given, these 
empirical methods must cease. 
Another form of morbid bony growth, frequently met with 12 
both on the forward legs and behind, and one that often causes 
severe lameness for a short time, is the union of the splint 
with the cannon bone. This trouble usually arises from an 
injury, which sets up a periosteal inflammation about the parts, 
when an osseous callous results, thus cementing the two bones 
together. This having been accomplished, either by nature alone 
or by the aid of the surgeon’s art, the animal ceases to limp, and 
the case is permanently cured. The bunch will gradually recede 
in size, and sometimes entirely disappear, so that it can be 
neither seen nor felt, but the two bones are firmly united and 
can never be separated. The claim, therefore, that “ a splint 
can be taken off” and thus leave the leg natural again is a fallacy, 
as a moment’s inspection of the bone afterwards would show, yet 
the horse in reality is none the less valuable. 
But this is not the case with spavin, which consists in the grow- 
ing of two or more of the tarsal bones together. The hock, 
before described, is a very delicately constructed joint, made 
up of six bones, and bound together by various ligaments. Situ- 
ated at the posterior angle of the hind leg, which does most 
of the work in drawing, it is therefore frequently subject to 
severe strains, causing immediate lameness. 
A general inflammation follows, succeeded by synovitis, peri- 
ostitis, and anchylosis of one or more of those small joints. The 
cure, therefore, for spavin, like the other allied forms of disease, 
consists in hastening the bony union of the parts involved, by the 
use of the hot iron, blisters, and liniments. It may at first be 
confined to the scaphoid and large cuneiform, and thus end with 
their ossiffic union, but other bones may become involved, and 
ultimately it may extend to the whole joint, often causing an 
immense enlargement of the hock. 
“ Chest-founder.” 
This term is a misnomer as applied to the seat of disease in 
the forward leg. The trouble is invariably in the feet, and 
the symptoms by which it can be thus recognized are unmistak- 
able. The horse “points” the foot, or stands with the heel of the 
shoe raised from the ground, always steps short, and in Scotland 
this gait is known as “groggy-lameness.” 
After some time standing, the heel becomes contracted, grows 
down long, from want of wear, so that the hoof looks like a collar- 
box, being nearly as high behind as in front, and smaller than the 13 
other foot. There is heat and also tenderness on pressure in 
the hollow of the heel. 
The sunken condition of the chest is a fallacious symp- 
tom, inasmuch as the two anterior thoracic muscles have 
shrunken in size, or atrophied merely from want of use in throw- 
ing the leg forward naturally, instead of taking those short steps, 
as compelled to, on account of the morbid condition of the 
navicular joint. 
The degree of lameness varies greatly with the condition of the 
foot. When the foot is dry, and upon a dry hard road, the horse 
is sure to limp, and always starts off lame; but in soft muddy 
going, or upon a sandy road, after soaking the foot, the same 
animal might not for miles take a lame step. Hence the necessity 
of special attention to the feet in cases of this kind. 
Any treatment therefore directed to the supposed trouble in the 
chest, by way of seatons blisters, or even liniment, only evinces 
the mistaken notion of the practitioner, and thus clearly sets 
forth another popular fallacy, which has long held sway among 
horsemen as a substitute for knowledge. 
Acute Laminitis. 
Another trouble in the foot, that is often compounded with 
the last, is real founder, or an acute inflammation of the lamina 
which lines the hoof, and thus surrounds the coffin bone. This 
dreadful disease is of frequent occurrence, and is caused by over- 
exertion, high feeding, cold water, and exposure. 
The pain and suffering is very agonizing and persistent for 
several days, unless relieved, and the congested condition of 
the blood vessels, between the bone and the unyielding horny 
box, foreshadows to every intelligent practitioner the real surgical 
treatment, which the patient at once requires. Hence no time 
should be lost in attempting to obtain relief. The early abstrac- 
tion of blood, therefore is the great desideratum. Unload the 
vessels and the exudation will not occur, and thus eventually 
destroy the foot. * 
Swine Plague. 
This is a specific infectious disease, peculiar to swine, and is not 
communicable to man or other animals. It rarely occurs but once 
in an individual, as one attack serves to protect the system against 
a second invasion. The disease is especially contagious by the 14 
breath, and all hogs thus exposed are liable to become infected. 
Hence the necessity of strict quarantine regulations in the manage- 
ment of every outbreak, and all sick ones should at once be 
secluded from the herd. 
The symptoms by which this malady in its different phases can 
be recognized are of a threefold character, and which may well 
be designated as the febrile, the choleric, and hemorrhagic. At 
first the hog shows some indisposition, has a slight rise of tempera- 
ture, and occasionally coughs. In fact the majority suffering 
from this form of the disease would scarcely be recognized 
as being sick, upon casual examination. 
But in the second stage when the “ cholera” symptoms appear, 
there can no longer be any doubt. The disease now assumes 
a grave form, and is usually attended with a high rate of mortal- 
ity. The animal becomes inactive, refuses to eat, but is very 
thirsty. The high temperature, labored respiration, and severe 
cough, indicate in a marked degree an internal inflammation. 
Pneumo-enteritis therefore well expresses the real pathological 
condition. 
The bowels are at first constipated, but soon followed with 
a fetid diarrhoea, which hastens fatality. The discharges are 
slimy, and often stained with blood, which symptoms are very 
characteristic of the nature of the malady. A reddened skin is a 
very common symptom, and this, together with the enlarged 
lymphatics of the groin, become an important aid in diagnosis. 
In the hemorrhagic forms the disease occurs without premoni- 
tion, is very violent in character, and invariably fatal. A state 
of collapse is, in fact, the first symptom. The extremities become 
cold and numb, and the circulation is very inactive. Hence the 
stagnation of blood, with a dark purple hue of the skin, and large 
ecchymosed spots, is the inevitable sequence. 
This swine plague can be communicated by the inoculation of 
the bronchial mucus, and the fluid from the peritoneal cavity. The 
blood is also virulent; thus showing that the disease belongs to the 
same infectious group with pleuro-pneumonia, small-pox and tuber- 
culosis, and accordingly spreads by contagion only. Medicinal 
treatment, therefore, can have but little effect in cutting short the 
course of this malady. Conduct the mild cases to a favorable ter- 
mination is all that can be reasonably expected. 15 
Glanders and Farcy. 
Of all the diseases of the horse the above are by far the most 
loathsome and foreboding. It ranks among the few great scourges 
of the land, and it is decidedly the most contagious malady of the 
equine race. By inoculation it is transmissible to man and other 
animals, but not to bovines. 
It belongs to the group of infectious diseases, and has its own 
specific virus, which can be cultivated to any extent. Glanders, 
therefore, extends itself by contagion only. Nor is it ever the 
sequel of any other malady, unless the germs had previously been 
implanted there. 
Though differing phenomenally, in many respects, the virus of 
glanders and of farcy are pathologically identical. One can be 
reproduced from the other by inoculation, and tfiis is the sure 
criterion for deciding a doubtful case of either. 
The symptoms, therefore, by which glanders may be diagnosed 
at the earliest moment possible are of great importance to the veter- 
inarian for the protection of life and property. The disease is 
often obscure, and the pathognomonic signs for a long time 
remain latent. 
The discharge from the nose is not alone characteristic. It even 
varies greatly at different stages of the real malady. The enlarged 
gland on the same side, especially if it is not hard, inflamed and 
tender, renders it more suspicious; but when a chancre appears 
in the nostril, the case is beyond a doubt. Without the corrob- 
oration, therefore, of these three cardinal symptoms, or a suc- 
cessful inoculation in a healthy subject, no one would be justified 
in sacrificing a valuable animal, unless they knew the hors had 
been exposed. 
The treatment which a well-marked case of glanders or farcy 
should receive is not medicinal. As soon as the real nature of 
tho disease is known, the animal should at once be sacrificed. All 
effort to cure an undoubted case is futile. The progress of the 
disease may be checked for a while, by rest, good care, and sup- 
portive treatment, but as soon as the horse goes to work again, and 
thus begins to lose condition, the case becomes aggravated and 
death is sure to follow. 
In certain chronic forms, however, an animal has been known to 
live for several years, and thus be the means of disseminating the 
contagion. Consequently all suspicious cases should be held in 16 
quarantine until the real nature of the malady in question can be 
determined by inoculation; and this should be resorted to at once, 
if the crucial test upon the nasal membrane is not in sight. 
Epizootic Pleuro-pneumonia. 
This is another specific malady, and the one of most contagious of 
bovine animals. It never attacks the horse and hog, nor can it be 
conveyed to the human subject. The disease spreads by virtue of 
its own infection, and never arrives spontaneously. No filthy 
abode, nor any combination of unsanitary conditions can produce 
it, without the presence of these stealthy germs to contaminate 
the place. This dreaded scourge, therefore, is not easily extir- 
pated nor controlled wherever it occurs. 
Like other diseases of this class, it runs a natural course and 
cannot be cut short. Hence, to conduct to a favorable termination 
is all that can be done by way of treatment. Strict quarantine 
regulations should be resorted to at once, and thus the cordon 
tightly drawn, when the disease first breaks out. The want of such 
sanitary measures has cost this country already a sad financial ex- 
perience, and still the disease is uncontrolled for want of means 
to stamp it out. 
Tuberculosis. 
Though other plagues operate in a more summary manner, yet the 
ravages from this disease are none the less to be dreaded. The 
sure but stealthy march, of late years, which this insidious malady 
has made upon some of the finest herds of our land has awakened 
a deep interest among breeders concerning its real specific nature 
and hereditary transmission. 
This old-fashioned and long-known scrofulous consumption of 
cattle has now been placed, by the rapid advancement in veterinary 
pathology, among the contagious diseases. The great liability, 
therefore, of its direct transmission to human beings through the 
agency of infected milk is one of the most important questions 
to-day before the public. Consequently, the wide-spread preva- 
lence of this fatal malady among the cows of this country will 
soon call for new sanitary regulations. 
The extent to which urinary gravel occurs in domestic animals 
and the symptoms by which the trouble can be recognized, has not 
Calculous Disorders. 17 
received that attention in this country which the subject now de- 
mands. In a former paper I have alluded to the presence of 
urethral calculi in the ox,* and the fatal consequences that are 
sure to follow if not attended to at once. 
In the horse these concretions often become very large and 
thus cause great difficulty in urinating, as shown by frequent 
straining, and the passage of blood for weeks and months. The 
two successful operations of lithotomy, however, which I have re- 
cently performed, and the removal of a large stone from the 
bladder of both a horse and a mare, affords us hope that this seri- 
ous difficulty, which no doubt is of more frequent occurrence than 
we have hitherto been aware, can be readily overcome and the 
patient cured. 
Conclusion. 
Thus l have glanced at some of the facts in comparative an- 
atomy and pathology which every farmer should know in rela- 
tion the diseases of animals. I have alhided to certain popular fal- 
lacies which, like “horn-ail’’ of old, will vanish from the mind as 
soon as the light of veterinary knowledge shall dawn upon the 
believer. 
There are fallacies in therapeutics also which have long held 
sway, and one especially that deserves a passing notice. The 
favorite method among horsemen of treating pneumonia by the 
use of mustard pastes instead of hot applications to the chest, is 
fallacious in theory and unsuccessful in practice, as every phy- 
sician and well-informed veterinarian knows. Hence, we are ad- 
monished on every hand to aid in the diffusion of practical scientific 
knowledge, that the diseases of live stock may be better under- 
stood, our health thus protected, and the afflicted animals more 
humanely treated. 
The following resolutions were then read and unanimously 
adopted: 
Whereas, Pleuro-pneumonia, a very contagious and fatal disease 
among cattle, has a recognized existence in our country, 
threatening the most direful results on the prosperity of our 
farmers and dealers in and exporters of live stock, therefore 
be it resolved— 
♦See Natural History of Bezoar stones, calculi, and other animal 
concretions, in Secretary’s Report for 1878. 18 
First, That the Connecticut Board of Agriculture, upon well 
considered action, do declare that the threatened evil, in their 
opinion, has become of national concern. 
Second, That they recommend to their representatives in Con- 
gress to take into consideration the injuries which this disease, if 
unchecked or uncontrolled, is capable of, and to carefully devise 
immediate measures to regulate the movements of stock, and to 
take such other means as shall be necessary to eradicate the dis- 
ease from the country. 
Third, That, in the opinion of this convention, this emergency 
should be met with immediate action, and the measures to be 
devised should be thorough and radical.