"The chaw" is an artifice recognized in every stable. Grooms have their tastes. It is very unpleasant to these gentry when they behold some unmannerly horse hang back in the halter. Stalls are drained into a main channel, situated at the edge of the gangway. The pavement on which the animal stands consequently slants from the manger to the footpath. This nice arrangement obliges the horse always to stand with the toes in the air and throws the weight of the body upon the back sinews. To ease its aching limbs the animal is apt to go to the extent of its rope, so as to place the hind feet upon the gangway, and even occasionally to give the toe an opposite direction by allowing it to sink into the open drain. Such presumption horrifies the groom's sense of propriety. The ignorant mind's idea of beauty is "everything to match." He thinks all is so nice when the animals dress to a line, like soldiers on parade. To have this line preserved, even in his absence, he puts "a chaw" into the refractory "brute's" mouth. This chaw is to be preserved night and day. The tongue soon gets under the rope. Timidity is rendered yet more fearful by persecution. The voice of the groom has become a terror to the quadruped. It hangs back for ease, and is surprised by the vehement exclamation of the tormentor. Back goes the neck and up goes the head. The animal runs to its manger, but something has fallen upon the floor! The horse was luxuriating in hanging back to the full extent when surprised. The sudden start jerked the halter rein, and the result is the free portion of the tongue falls from the mouth, severed by the rope. [Illustration: ABUSE OF THE HALTER.] These are lamentable instances of the general behavior of grooms to the creatures entrusted to their care. Nothing is so corruptive as misplaced authority. A little mind knows no difference between the possession of power and the indulgence of tyranny. The use and the abuse are synonyms to the ignorant; and the sins committed principally reside with him who places the life Heaven has entrusted to his care in such unworthy custody. When a tongue is partially divided, do not insert sutures of any kind. Metallic sutures wound the fleshy palate, and silk sutures soon slough out. Neither, therefore, does good, and each serves to confine the food which enters the division. Foreign matter irritates a wound and retards its healing. Consequently, do nothing to the tongue when partially divided. Feed the patient on gruel until the healing is complete, and wash out the mouth thrice daily, with some chloride of zinc lotion, one scruple of the salt to a pint of water, after the manner described in the preceding article. [Illustration: THE TONGUE HEALED AFTER HAVING BEEN DEEPLY CUT BUT NOT SUNDERED. The jaw has been divided to show the injured tongue, as it would appear in the mouth. _a._ The indentation at the seat of injury, and which will remain so long as life shall continue. ]