he most part, over-fed
on stimulating diet (flesh), and kept chained up, generally in a filthy
state. The country dog gets plenty of exercise, being allowed to sleep in
the open air where he pleases outside of his master's cottage, and has but
little food, and very seldom any flesh. I scarcely ever have a sporting
dog sent to me, on the approach of autumn, suffering from what their
masters are pleased to term "foul," but canker within and without the ear
are found to be included in the so-called disorder. Often am I desired to
look at both long-haired and short-haired dogs, and find both kinds
victims to these diseases; but canker without the ear, or on the flap of
the ear, I never see without canker within the ear being also present.
Canker on the flap of the ear, it is true, becomes the worst in
short-haired dogs, because these animals have this part by nature more
exposed to injury. Long-haired dogs, on the other hand, have the disease
within the organ worst, because the warmth of their coats serves to keep
hot and to encourage the disorder.

Therefore, we find on inquiry that neither breed of dogs is more liable or
more subject to be attacked by a particular kind of canker; though in each
kind there exist circumstances calculated to give a direction to the
disease when once established. Authors speak of rounding the ear for
external canker; that is, of taking a portion of the border away, so as to
leave the flap of the ear the less for the operation; and fox-hounds are
said to have the ears rounded to escape the ravages of the disorder. There
are said to have been poor dogs subjected to a second and third rounding;
till at length the entire ear has been rounded away, and the wretched
beast has been at last destroyed; because man first fed it till it was
diseased, and then was too heartless properly to study the nature of the
affection which tormented the animal.

Let those who may feel disposed to question this view of external canker,
ask themselves what it is which induces the dog to shake his head
violently at first? For the brute must shake the head violently and
frequently, before canker in the flap can be established. The disease is,
in the first instance, thus mechanically induced. It has its origin in the
violent action of the beast; and that action is the very one which ensues
upon the animal being attacked by internal canker.

The dog shakes his head long before the eye can detect anything within the
ear