Special Report on Diseases of the Horse | Page 2

position 591
3. Pair of fore feet of base-wide form in toe-wide standing position 591
4. Pair of fore feet of base-narrow form in toe-narrow standing position

592
5. Side view of an acute-angled fore foot, of a regular fore foot, and of
a stumpy fore foot 592
6. Side view of foot with the foot-axis broken backward as a result of
too long a toe 595
7. Left fore hoof of a regular form, shod with a plain fullered shoe 599
8. Side view of hoof and fullered shoe 599
9. An acute-angled left fore hoof shod with a bar shoe 601
10. A fairly formed right fore ice shoe for a roadster 601
11. Left fore hoof of regular form shod with a rubber pad and
"three-quarter" shoe 602
12. A narrow right fore hoof of the base-wide standing position shod
with a plain "dropped crease" shoe 602
13. Hoof surface of a right hind shoe to prevent interfering 603
14. Ground surface of shoe shown in fig. 13 603
15. Side view of a fore hoof shod so as to quicken the "breaking over"
in a "forger" 604
16. Side view of a short-toed hind hoof of a forger 604
17. A toe-weight shoe to increase the length of stride of fore feet 605
18. Most common form of punched heel-weight shoe to induce high
action in fore feet 605

SPECIAL REPORT ON DISEASES OF THE HORSE.

THE EXAMINATION OF A SICK HORSE.
By Leonard Pearson, B. S., V. M. D.
In the examination of a sick horse it is important to have a method or
system. If a definite plan of examination is followed one may feel
reasonably sure, when the examination is finished, that no important
point has been overlooked and that the examiner is in a position to
arrive at an opinion that is as accurate as is possible for him. Of course,
an experienced eye can see, and a trained hand can feel, slight
alterations or variations from the normal that are not perceptible to the
unskilled observer. A thorough knowledge of the conditions that exist
in health is of the highest importance, because it is only by a
knowledge of what is right that one can surely detect a wrong condition.
A knowledge of anatomy, or of the structure of the body, and of
physiology, or the functions and activities of the body, lie at the bottom
of accuracy of diagnosis. It is important to remember that animals of
different races or families deport themselves differently under the
influence of the same disease or pathological process. The sensitive and
highly organized thoroughbred resists cerebral depression more than
does the lymphatic draft horse. Hence a degree of fever that does not
produce marked dullness in a thoroughbred may cause the most abject
dejection in a coarsely bred, heavy draft horse. This and similar facts
are of vast importance in the diagnosis of disease and in the recognition
of its significance.
The order of examination, as given hereafter, is one that has proved to
be comparatively easy of application and sufficiently thorough for the
purpose of the readers of this work, and is recommended by several
writers.
HISTORY.
It is important to know, first of all, something of the origin and
development of the disease; therefore the cause should be looked for.
The cause of a disease is important, not only in connection with

diagnosis, but also in connection with treatment. The character of feed
that the horse has had, the use to which he has been put, and the kind of
care he has received should all be closely inquired into. It may be found
by this investigation that the horse has been fed on damaged feed, such
as brewers' grains or moldy silage, and this may be sufficient to explain
the profound depression and weakness that are characteristic of forage
poisoning. If it is learned that the horse has been kept in the stable
without exercise for several days and upon full rations, and that he
became suddenly lame in his back and hind legs, and finally fell to the
ground from what appeared to be partial paralysis, this knowledge,
taken in connection with a few evident symptoms, will be enough to
establish a diagnosis of azoturia (excess of nitrogen in the urine). If it is
learned that the horse has been recently shipped in the cars or has been
through a dealer's stable, we have knowledge of significance in
connection with the causation of a possible febrile disease, which is,
under these conditions, likely to prove to be influenza, or edematous
pneumonia.
It is also important to know whether the particular horse under
examination is the only one in the stable, or on the premises, that is
similarly afflicted. If it is found