42 2 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[8 July, 1907. 



heels and fade away to nothing at the front of the hoof. {Note. By a 

 " grass ring '"' is meant a ring of more prominent growth of horn extending 

 e\enly all round the hoof and resulting from the more ^'igorous growth of 

 horn which takes place when horses are turned out tO' grass for a spelL 

 There are signs of ring-like growth of horn on most horses' hoofs. These 

 result from the fluctuation of the \igor of horn growth corresponding to 

 the varying activity of the growth of the coat at different seasons of the 

 year). (See Fig. 61.) 



Treatment. — The shoes should be immediately taken off, the rim of 

 the wall rasped down level with the sole so as to take the strain off the 

 inflamed sensitive laminae by allowing the weight of the body to be partly 

 borne on the sole. It is surprising how quickly relief from mechanicar 

 pain will follow on the provision of sole-pressure. The horse should then 

 at once be placed in a foot-bath of cold water, in which he should be 

 allowed to stand continuously until the acuteness of the pain subsides. 

 At any rate, eighteen hours on end out of the twenty-four is not too long 

 a time for the horse to be in the foot-bath, and if he is removed, the in- 

 tervening six hours should be spent lying down. If he is averse to lying 

 he ought to be forcibly put down by some quiet method. Failing a foot- 

 bath or suitable stall in which one can be improvised, standing the horse 

 in a stream or waterhole or dam, or even the bandaging of a trickling 

 hose on to the limb above the feet may be resorted to ; but, however it 

 is done the water must be applied continuouslv and it must be cold. 



This cold foot-bath treatment deserves to be strongly and unhesitatingly 

 advocated, for, when it is applied in the early stages and persisted in,. 



Fig. 62. Hoof showing laminitic rings ^ 'g- (^i- Laminitic heels dressed to 



and excessive growth of horn at shape and shod. (After Dollar.) 



heels. (After Dollar.) 



it is seldom that recovery does not take place in a few days or that any 

 permanent deformities or untoward sequelae, such as follow on other 

 methods of treatment, are experienced. Compared with this, hot fomen- 

 tations, poulticing, bleeding at the coronet, and such like methods of 

 treatment, are unsatisfactorv and obsolete. 



Some internal treatment is often necessary. When the fever is high 

 a laxative do.se of Epsom salts (six to eight ounces) mav be given as a 

 drench along with ten to twenty drops of tincture of aconite (Fleming's) 

 or a small handful of salts and a dose of aconite may be added to the 

 drinking water daily. The aconite is very useful in modifying the pain 

 and distress when the irritative fever is acute. Strong purgatives should 

 not be given as the artificial diarrhoea which they produce often tends to 

 intensify the inflammation in the feet. 



Food should be given but sparingly. It should consist of soft bran 

 mashes and easily digestible green stuff with a little boiled linseed jelly 

 every other day. A teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda or saltpetre mixed 

 with the mashes will assist in controlling the fever. 



