THRUSH 603 



should be placed in a bran poultice, and kept in it for some days, till the 

 united action of the local and general treatment have reduced the inflamma- 

 tion. After a few days it will be well to dress the frog with tar ointment, 

 or the poultice will do more harm than good, by causing the decomposition 

 of its horny covering, and indeed it is seldom that this wet application 

 should be employed for more than a few days. After this, all the good to 

 be derived from it has been accomplished, and the subsequent treatment 

 may generally be effected by attention to the health, and dressing the frog 

 with tar ointment. Sometimes it may be necessary to employ a slight 

 stimulus, and then the solution of chloride of zinc will be found to be the 

 best. 



The third kind of thrush occurs in contracted feet, and is due to the 

 same cause, namely, chronic inflammation of the sensible frog, produced 

 by overwork, aided in many cases by neglect in shoeing. There is a 

 tendency to the secretion of unsound horn over the whole foot, sometimes 

 too thick and hard, and at others of a cellular structure, without sufficient 

 strength to bear the pressure of the road. The horny frog generally looks 

 shrunken and withered, and in its cleft there is a foul discharge, on wiping 

 out which a soft spongy matter may be seen at the bottom, which is the 

 sensible frog itself, but in a diseased condition. In bad cases, the sides of 

 the horny frog have separated, and even the toe is sometimes deficient of its 

 covering; but generally the horn has only disappeared in patches, and 

 there are ragged portions remaining. The disease here is of too chronic a 

 nature to be easily cured, and if there is much disorganization of the laminae 

 it will be almost impossible to eflect a perfect cure. The first thing to be 

 done is to clear away all the ragged portions of horn, so as to be able to 

 reach the sensible frog. Some tow is then to be smeared with the following 

 ointment : — 



Take of Ointment of Nitrate of Mercury 1 drachm. 



Zinc Ointment 1 oz. 



Creosote 4 drops. Mix. 



and pressed into the cleft of the frog, where it can best be retained by a 

 bar shoe lightly tacked on, and in this case taking its bearing on the heels 

 and not on the frog. Sometimes a wash answers better than a greasy applica- 

 tion, and then a strong solution of the chloride of zinc may be employed, 

 about six grains to the ounce of water. Tow dipped in this may be applied 

 in the same way as with the ointment, and either one or the other should be 

 re-applied every day. As the new horn grows, it must be kept supple by tar 

 ointment, and until it is fully developed the bar shoe should be kept on, 

 applying some degree of pressure by means of the tow, which should be 

 stuffed in so as to compress the frog, beginning with very light pressure, 

 and, as the horn increases in substance, augmenting it in proportion. By 

 attention to these directions a thrush of this kind may be cured, if the foot 

 is not damaged throughout, and even the frog may be restt)red to a compai-a- 

 tive state of health. 



