560 



IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURB 



a telephone message was received to come immediately, as the horse was 

 very much worse. The symptoms showed a well developed case of tetanus 

 or lock-jaw, from which the horse died in two days. Tetanus is not 

 frequent in this locality, and the clinical history would seem to support 

 the theory that the wound was inocculated with tetanus becilli contained 

 in the dirt and filth of the cow-manure poultice. This furnishes one rea- 

 son, and a strong one, for absolutely condemning the use of such a poul- 

 tice. 



Case C. — An incomplete history prevented accurate knowledge being 

 obtained as to the nature of the injury in this case. The horse had been 

 lame, but subsequently had made sufficient recovery to permit of his being 

 again put to work. The owner had made an examination of the foot, but 

 had been unable to detect anything wrong. The horse had been used for 

 hauling grain to town on a Saturday, and according to report went but 

 slightly lame. Later he became excessively lame, being unable to bear 

 any weight on his leg. He was loaded on a wagon and brought to the 

 hospital on the following Tuesday. It was found that the foot had suffered 

 an injury and that the entire sole and frog had become under-run with 

 pus. After placing the horse upon the operating table the foot was 

 thoroughly washed with soap and water and all of the horn covering the 

 bottom of the foot was removed. After being cleansed in a 1-500 solution 

 ■of bichloride of mercury, the foot was bandaged and coated with tar. He 

 was then removed to the hospital, and after-treatment consisted solely in 

 the daily application of a bichloride solution at the top of the bandage. In 

 ten days the bandage was removed and the foot dressed with equal parts 

 of tannic acid and iodoform and the patient discharged. He was seen 

 again in two weeks, when it was found that for the most part new horn 

 had formed over the bottom of the foot, the only exception being at the 

 buttress, where there was a slight amount of pus. The foot was dressed 

 with powder as before, and from this on recovery was uneventful. 



Case D. — A bay driving mare suffered from a nail prick of the frog, and 

 received no further treatment than the application of a cow-manure 

 poultice. At the time she was placed upder our care the wound produced 

 by the nail was suppurating, and the pus had worked its way upward, 

 discharging by an opening in the hollow of the heel, and another about 

 two inches above this on the posterior aspect of the pastern. The frog 

 and both wings of the sole were removed, and then an incision was made 

 passing from the uppermost opening to the cleft of the frog. Into this 

 was firmly pressed a piece of cotton soaked in the usual strength of subli- 

 mate, and cotton and a bandage applied as in other cases. By means of 

 a syringe a 1-500 solution of sublimate was introduced at the top of the 

 bandage twice daily. In addition the mare was placed on dram doses of 

 calcium sulfid twice daily, as there was some fever. In a week the band- 

 age was removed, when it was found that the wound presented a perfectly 

 healthy appearance. A sublimate bandage was again applied and left in 

 position for another week. The foot was then dressed in the usual powder, 

 the application of which was repeated twice. The wound made complete 

 recovery, although the mare remained lame for a consiuerable time there- 

 after. 



