240 Veterinary Elements. 



ger, inside quarters being oftener pricked than outside 

 ones. If a horse has been left shod for some months and 

 when reshod has the foot cut down pretty well, he is apt 

 to go lame, due to the strain thrown on the tendons and 

 ligaments or to the sole having been made too thin, thus 

 pressing on the sensitive parts, and the animal may be 

 thought to have been pricked. If a horse goes lame 

 after shoeing, the nail being driven high or the point 

 not shown; or the hammer gives a dull sound, we may 

 suspect pricking; if blood follows the withdrawal of a 

 nail, or if the nail is wet, due to matter (pus) we can be 

 certain that the quick has been hurt, in some cases after 

 paring the feet a stain may be seen around the nail hole. 

 The color of the matter (pus) is often a guide as to the 

 extent of the injury, if black, the wound is only super- 

 ficial and will soon recover; a yellowish color shows pus 

 more or less deep seated; if purple and a putrid smell 

 the chances are that the pedal bone is affected, should 

 great pain be shown after letting out the matter, the 

 injury is very serious. In this form of disease the same 

 rules apply as to other wounds, plenty of drainage so as to 

 get the pus away must be given, hence pare the foot, steep 

 in a hot antiseptic solution for a couple of hours, or a 

 bath of bluestone one ounce to a pint of water may be 

 given daily, for an hour; if the hoof is hard the applica- 

 tion of a hot flaxseed poultice will be useful, before doing 

 much paring of the foot; after paring down, baths fol- 

 lowed by oakum and tar stoppings are to be preferred to 

 poultices. Pricks from shoeing or from nails picked up 

 on the street will, if not attended to, result in pus form- 

 ing and working upwards to the coronet and there break 



