128 THE ORANGE COUNTY 



lected, or inefficiently managed, the neighboring ligaments 

 will be involved, more extensive inflammation will be set up, 

 and bony matter, under the name of 



Ring-bone, 



will spread over the pasterns and cartilages of the foot. 

 Firing alone will, in the majority of cases, be efficient here. 



Inflammation of the Foot, or Acute Founder. 



In speaking of the structure of the foot, the laminae, or 

 fleshy plates on the front and sides of the coffin-bone, were 

 described. From over-exertion, or undue exposure to cold or 

 wet, or sudden change from cold to heat, inflammation of 

 these laminae is apt to occur; and a dreadfully painful dis- 

 ease it is. It is easily detected by the heat of the feet, and 

 the torture which is produced by the slightest touch of 

 the hammer. The shoe must be removed, the sole well 

 pared out, plentiful bleeding from the toe had recourse to, 

 the foot well poulticed, and cooling medicines resorted to. 

 The bleeding should be repeated, if manifest benefit is not 

 procured, and cloths dipped in dissolved nitre, which are 

 colder than the common poultice, should be substituted. 

 After this, a poultice around the foot and pastern should 

 succeed. Little food should be given, and that must consist 

 of mashes and a cooling diet. 



Pumiced Feet. 



This is one of the consequences of inflamed feet. The 

 sole of the foot becomes flattened, or even convex, by the 

 pressure of the weight above. There is no cure here, and 

 the only palliation of the evil is obtained from the applica- 

 tion of a shoe so beveled off from the crust that it shall not 

 press upon or touch the sole. This, however, is only a tem- 

 porary palliation, for the sole will continue to project, and 

 the horse will be useless. 



Contracted Feet. 



By this is meant an increase in the length of the foot, 

 and a gradual narrowing as the heels are approached; and, 

 as the necessary consequence of this, a diminution of the 

 width of the foot, and a concavity of the sole. In point of 

 fact, the whole of the foot, including the coffin-bone, be- 



