Musty corn will also produce it, and should never be given to animals.  I recollect, in 1856, when I was in New Mexico, at Fort Union, we had several mules die from eating what is termed Spanish or Mexican corn, a small blue and purplish grain.  It was exceedingly hard and flinty, and, in fact, more like buckshot than grain.  We fed about four quarts of this to the mule, at the first feed.  The result was, they swelled up, began to pant, look round at their sides, sweat above the eyes and at the flanks.  Then they commenced to roll, spring up suddenly, lie down again, roll and try to lie on their backs.  Then they would spring up, and after standing a few seconds, fall down, and groan, and pant.  At length they would resign themselves to what they apparently knew to be their fate, and die.  And yet, singular as it may seem, the animal could be accustomed to this grain by judicious feeding at first.

We did not know at that time what to give the animal to relieve or cure him; and the Government lost hundreds of valuable animals through our want of knowledge.  Whenever these violent cases appear, get some common soap, make a strong suds and drench the mule with it.  I have found in every case where I used it that the mule got well.  It is the alkali in the soap that neutralizes the gases.  There is another good receipt, and it is generally to be found in camp.  Take two ounces of saleratus, put it into a pint of water, shake well, and then drench with the same.  Above all things, keep whisky and other stimulants away, as they only serve to aggravate the disease.

Physicking.

This is another of those imaginary cures resorted to by persons having charge of mules.  Very many of these persons honestly believe that it is necessary to clean the animal out every spring with large doses of poisonous and other truck.  This, they say, ought to be given to loosen the hide, soften the hair, &c.  In my opinion it does very little good.  If his dung gets dry, and his hair hard and crispy, give him bran mashes mixed with his grain, and a teaspoonful of salt at each feed.  If there is grass, let him graze a few hours every day.  This will do more towards softening his coat and loosening his bowels than any thing else.  When real disease makes its appearance, it is time to use medicines; but they should be applied by some one who thoroughly understands them.

Stringhalt.

This sometimes occurs in the mule.  It is a sudden, nervous, quick jerk of either or both of the hind legs.  In the mule it frequently shows but little after being worked an hour or so.  It is what I regard as unsoundness, and a mule badly affected with it is generally of but little use.  It is often the result of strains, caused by backing, pulling and twisting, and heavy falls.  You can detect it in its slightest form by turning the animal short around to the right or to the left.  Turn him in the track he stands in, as near as possible, and then back him.  If he has it, one of these three ways will develop its symptoms.  There are a great many opinions as to the soundness or unsoundness of an animal afflicted with this complaint.  If I had now a good animal afflicted with it, the pain caused to my feelings by looking at it would be a serious drawback.