r, he is said to have a sluggish, or lymphatic, temperament. The
temperament is indicated by the gait, by the expression of the face, and
by the carriage of the head and ears. The nature of the temperament
should be taken into consideration in an endeavor to ascertain the
severity of a given case of illness, because the general expression of
an animal in disease as well as in health depends to a large extent on
the temperament.

THE SKIN AND THE VISIBLE MUCOUS MEMBRANES.

The condition of the skin is a fair index to the condition of the
animal. The effect of disease and emaciation upon the pliability of the
skin have been referred to above. There is no part of the body that
loses its elasticity and tone as a result of disease sooner than the
skin. The practical herdsman or flockmaster can gain a great deal of
information as to the condition, of an animal merely by grasping the
coat and looking at and feeling the skin. Similarly, the condition of
the animal is shown to a certain extent by the appearance of the mucous
membranes. For example, when the horse is anemic as a result of disease
or of inappropriate feed the mucous membranes become pale. This change
in the mucous membranes can be seen most readily in the lining of the
eyelids and in the lining of the nostril. For convenience of examination
the eyelids can readily be everted. Paleness means weak circulation or
poor blood. Increased redness occurs physiologically in painful
conditions, excitement, and following severe exertion. Under such
conditions the increase of circulation is transitory. In fevers there is
an increased redness in the mucous membrane, and this continues so long
as the fever lasts. In some diseases red spots or streaks form in the
mucous membrane. This usually indicates an infectious disease of
considerable severity, and occurs in blood poisoning, purpura
hemorrhagica, hemorrhagic septicemia, and in urticaria. When the liver
is deranged and does not operate, or when the red-blood corpuscles are
broken down, as in serious cases of influenza, there is a yellowish
discoloration of the mucous membrane. The mucous membranes become bluish
or blue when the blood is imperfectly oxidized and contains an excess of
carbon dioxid. This condition exists in any serious disease of the
respiratory tract, as pneumonia, and in heart failure.

The temperature of the skin varies with the temperature of the body. If
there is fever the temperature of the skin is l