Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/356

 336 VETERINARY SCIENCE VETIVER prolong that bone posteriorly, navicular disease, and the formation of matter which tends to burrow in different directions, forming fistulas and causing extensive destruction of the soft parts. Corns cause marked lameness, pointing of the foot, with slight elevation of the heel, and a short, stilty, stumbling gait. Testing the affected heel with pincers or hammer elicits signs of tenderness, and the horny sole in the angle of the heel is marked with red points and patches, from extravasated blood. If matter has formed, the patient will often hesitate to touch the ground even with the toe, and soon there is swelling and tenderness at the coronet where the pus is about to escape. Should the injury not exceed a simple bruise, it may be allowed to grow out. A bar shoe may be ap- plied so as to rest on the frog, and remove the pressure from the diseased heel, while the pa- tient is allowed to stand in water, or with wet swabs and linseed stuffing for the sole, until inflammation subsides. The shoe must be re- moved before it settles down, and reapplied so as to protect the heel ns before. If matter has formed, pare down the sole until it escapes, remove all horn detached from the quick, thin the edges of the adjacent horn, apply a poul- tice for a few days, then apply a bar shoe with leather sole over an abundant stuffing of tar and tow. In low weak heels with exten- sive disease of the posterior part of the coffin bone, and above all with ossification of the lateral cartilages, the recurrence of corns can hardly be prevented, although careful shoeing with bar shoes, resting very lightly on the heels, will do much to mitigate their severity. V. BREAKING AND TRAINING OF HORSES. In careful hands the colt should be led and han- dled while still with his dam, but should not be made a general pet and plaything. Many of the most incorrigible horses have been pets as foals, and learned at this early age to re- taliate in their play. To halter a colt, he should be driven into a narrow place in stable or yard between two old steady horses, that will virtually hold him until the halter or bri- dle has been got on. All sudden movements are to be avoided. Training to bring a horse into condition for hard work consists in the removal of all superfluous fat, and the devel- opment and hardening of the muscles. The best condition is not to be attained by a train- ing of a few weeks or months, and trotters rarely reach their highest speed until years after they are matured. The colt intended for this training should be fed on grain from the time ho leaves his dam, and should have free scope for exercise and development. The final treatment is by sweating, physic, and graduated exercise. Sweating is employed mainly to get rid of superfluous fat, and may be secured by active exertion, by clothing, or by the Turkish bath. The duration and fre- quency of the sweats must vary with the sub- ject, but the liquid should always be scraped off, and the horse rubbed dry, and walked out in light clothing until he cools. A dose of physic is useful in reducing fat, counteracting plethora, and ceoling the limbs, but is espe- cially beneficial in clearing away irritants and accumulations from the ^intestines, and im- proving appetite and digestion. But it is always dangerous in injudicious hands, and should never be repeated unless the state of the limbs or of the general health demands it. Exercise should gradually increase from walk- ing to trotting, and cantering or galloping, ac- cording to the development of condition and the use to which the animal is to be put. Feeding must be liberal upon hay and oats, the latter being steadily increased and the for- mer diminished as the more active work is de- manded. In perfectly sound horses with clean limbs, brans may be added with good effect. See Bouley, Traite de V organisation du pied dti chetal (Paris, 1851); Bouley and Reynal, Dictionnaire de medecine veterinaire (vols. i.- x., Paris, 1856-'73) ; Rey, Traite de marechale- rie teterinaire (Paris, 1865) ; Chauveau, Traite d'anatomie des animaux domestiques (Paris, 1871 ; translated into English by George Flem- ing, "Comparative Anatomy of the Domesti- cated Animals," London and New York, 1873); Colin, Physiologic comparee de animaux (Paris, 1871) ; Saint-Cyr, Traite d'obstftrique veteri- naire (Paris, 1874); Tabourin, Matiere medicals (Paris, 1875); Hering, Handbuch der thierdrz- lifhen Operationslehre (Stuttgart, 1866); Roll, Lehrbuch der Pathologic und Therapie der nutzbaren Hamthiere (Vienna, 1869); Rohl- wehs, Allgemeinet Vieharzneibuch (21st ed., remodelled by II. Renner and M. Rothermel, Berlin, 1874); FinlayDun, " Veterinary Medi- cines, their Actions and Uses" (Edinburgh, 1864); and George Fleming, "A Manual of Veterinary Science and Police " (2 vols., Lon- don, 1875). VETIVER (Fr., from the East Indian riti- tayr). Several grasses of the genus andropo- gon, which is largely represented in this coun- try, have aromatic properties in a marked de- gree ; in some cases these are important enough to make them or their products articles of commerce. The oil of lemon grass, so much used in modern perfumery (see LEMON GRASS), is from A. schananthus, and the roots of A. muricatw, as vetiver, are employed by the French perfumers. The last named species, which ia very common in India, where it is known also as Icm-lcw, grows from 3 to 6 ft. high, with leaves 3 ft. long; no part of the plant has any marked odor, except the root ; this consists of much-branching fibrous root- lets, which in the imported article are clumps of a few inche.8 to a foot long ; they have a strong odor, recalling that of myrrh, but more pleasant, which depends upon a resinous mat- ter. In India the roots are used to preserve stuffs and clothing from insects, and are inter- woven into screens of lattice work which are placed in the windows ; when wetted they give to the air which passes through them a pleas-