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 deal