There is, at present, a great fuss made about sanitary laws; but the attention of those to whom such subjects are confided seems to be engrossed by man and his excretions. No one yet appears to have imagined that the subject involves life in all its varieties; the horse cannot exist in the air which human lungs have exhausted; man cannot live in the atmosphere in which the horse has perished. The two creatures are not, therefore, entirely distinct; but the open nostrils and huge lungs of one horse can consume the oxygen which would support many men. Then, the dung of the horse, which is always exposed, gives off fumes only slightly less dangerous than those which emanate from the human body. Yet officers pry into alleys and into courts; they enter the habitations of the poor, and count the number of those who sleep in each room. The impacted people are pointed to as the source of certain diseases, and society shudders as the medical report is circulated. No one, however, visits the stable; no one inquires whether horses live in the space which affords sufficient atmosphere to support existence; no one has yet traced disease in man as probably originating in the close and contaminated fumes of nearly every London mews. Still, if the over-crowded rooms of the poor merit an elaborate report as so very dangerous to society, may not the stifling and reeking condition of the stables deserve a passing comment in its relation to the same effect?
Cutting the hair from, and thereby exposing the hinder heels to the operation of cold and of wet is no unfrequent cause of grease. Such is a common practice with lazy horsekeepers when not stimulated by the proprietor's eye. In winter, when the legs most require warmth and protection, the heels are deprived of the covering which nature intended should protect them; and parts where the blood flows most tardily are laid bare to the effects of evaporation and of frost. When the animal returns soiled from work, most grooms will sluice a pail of cold water over the legs; the dirt is thereby washed off, but the legs are suddenly chilled, and soon become more cold, because of the moisture which they retain and of the evaporation which ensues; for very few stablemen, finding the appearance pleasing to mortal perceptions, think about the comfort of the creature which is principally concerned.
Sudden chill striking a part, and followed by gradually-increasing cold, will certainly induce congestion; the foundation of disease is thus laid. The better plan would be to instruct the groom that appearance is secondary to the welfare of his charge. Order the man not to mind about leaving his horses so very clean and tidy; never allow the hair, which grows long and luxuriant about the heels, to be cut off. Leave strict orders that, when the animal returns with dirty legs, the stableman is to take several wisps of straw and rub them until the surface is quite dry. The absence of wet will greatly add to the comfort of the horse, while the friction will increase the circulation and prove the very best preventive to disease. With the moisture, of course, much of the dirt must be removed; any which is left behind will readily fall out on the following morning, upon the hair being carefully hand-rubbed and combed. However, mind and see this is done, for it entails some trouble; and, if you are content with merely giving orders, the "old buffer's megrims" are sure to be laughed at and disobeyed.
Turning out to grass, especially during the colder months, when the wet is particularly abundant, and the bite peculiarly short, is another fruitful source of this affection. If a well-bred, aged animal, which has done its work, after a life spent under the protection of the stable and in the enjoyment of its carefully-prepared diet, is, from mistaken motives, turned into the field, life may be prolonged, but it is at the expense of much suffering, with the almost certain visitation of grease in a virulent form.
A HORSE SCRATCHING ONE LEG
WITH THE OTHER FOOT—A SYMPTOM
OF THE EARLIEST APPEARANCE OF GREASE.
The earliest symptom of approaching grease is enlargement of the legs, accompanied by considerable heat of the skin. If the animals be now observed, they will be seen to be uneasy in their stalls; the hinder feet are occasionally noisily stamped upon the pavement. Should the hair be examined, it will be discovered loaded with scurf about the roots, while one hind foot will be frequently seen employed to scratch the back of the opposite leg.
Should these indications attract no attention, the hairs soon begin to stand on end or to project outward, as though each was actuated by a separate purpose, and each desired nothing so much as to avoid its fellows. At the same time, the part begins to exude a thick, unctuous moisture, from which the disease derives its name. This hangs upon all the hairs of the heel in heavy drops. It is an offensive secretion. It emits a remarkably pungent and a very peculiar odor, which, once inhaled, is never afterward to be forgotten.
FIRST STAGE OF CONFIRMED GREASE.