NAVICULAR DISEASE, OR NAVICULAR JOINT LAMENESS. 603 



which may be borne will depend greatly on the first-named 

 conditions, as a horse may be so bred and treated as not to 

 be able to bear exertion under his own weight. 



Treatment of plantar lameness, and the symptomatic 

 fever often accompanying it, consists with us in removal of 

 the shoes in the first instance, adjusting the hoofs, which 

 require to be made level, and not allowed to be high at the 

 heels, the joint of the hoof seldom requires reduction, be- 

 yond shortening the spreading thin edge, which is best 

 done with a file, by taking the foot forward on the knee ; 

 the sole should be left untouched with the knife. A mild 

 doze of aloes in ball should be given, and clysters at in- 

 tervals of two hours for the first day, foment the affected 

 feet with warm water, by placing them one at a time in a 

 pail, or in cases where the horse is not able to stand, flannel 

 bandages wrung out of hot water may be applied with 

 similar effect. - 



The above emollient treatment locally, and attention to 

 diet, which should be spare and regular in its administra- 

 tion, with the aperient measures prescribed, generally 

 effect a radically good change within three or four days. 

 With continued care, the horse being kept on a clean sur- 

 face, with his hoofs rubbed with appropriate ointment, 

 and properly shod, he will return to work successfully, 

 relatively in a great measure to his previous normal state. 



NAVICULAR DISEASE, OR NAVICULAR JOINT LAMENESS. 



Ulceration of the navicular bone, which is found present 

 in many cases of long-standing lameness, has, since it was 

 first brought to notice forty-eight years ago, caused a panic 

 amongst the veterinarians of this country, and through 



