PRICK OR WOUND IN THE SOLE OR CRUST. 397 



nail, or any similar body, picked up on the road, all that will be necessary is a 

 little to enlarge the opening, and then to place on it a pledget of tow dipped in 

 Friar's balsam, and over that a little common stopping. If there is much 

 heat and lame-ness, a poultice should be applied. 



The part of the sole that is wounded and the depth of the wound should be 

 taken into consideration. It will be seen, by reference to the cut in page 345, that 

 a deep puncture towards the back part of the sole, and penetrating even into the 

 sensible frog, may not be productive of serious consequence. There is no great 

 motion in the part, and there are no tendons or bones in danger. A puncture 

 near the toe may not be followed by much injury. There is little motion in 

 that part of the foot, and the internal sole covering the coffin-bone will soon 

 heal. A puncture, however, about the centre of the sole may wound the flexor 

 tendon where it is inserted into the coffin-bone, or may even penetrate the joint 

 which unites the navicular-bone with the coffin-bone, or pierce through the 

 tendon into the joint which it forms with the navicular-bone, and a degree of 

 inflammation may ensue, that, if neglected, may be fatal. Many horses have 

 been lost by the smallest puncture of the sole in these dangerous points. All 

 the anatomical skill of the veterinarian should be called into requisition, when 

 he is examining the most trifling wound of the foot. 



If the foot has been wounded by the wrong direction of a nail in shoeing, and 

 the sole is well-pared out over the part on the first appearance of lameness, little 

 more will be necessary to be done. The opening should be somewhat enlarged, 

 the Friar's balsam applied, and the shoe tacked on, with or without a poultice, 

 according to the degree of lameness or heat, and on the following day all will 

 often be well. It may, however, be prudent to keep the foot stopped for a few 

 days. If the accident has been neglected, and matter begins to be formed, and 

 to be pent up and to press on the neighbouring parts, and the horse evidently 

 suffers extreme pain, and is sometimes scarcely able to put his foot to the 

 ground, and much matter is poured out when the opening is enlarged, further 

 precautions must be adopted. The fact must be recollected that the living and 

 dead horn will never unite, and every portion of the horny sole that has sepa- 

 rated from the fleshy sole above must be removed. The separation must be 

 followed as far as it reaches. Much of the success of the treatment depends on 

 this. No small strip or edge of separated horn must be suffered to press upon 

 any part of the wound. The exposed fleshy sole must then be touched, but 

 not too severely, with the butyr (chloride) of antimony, some soft and dry tow 

 being spread on the part, the foot stopped, and a poultice placed over all if the 

 inflammation seems to require it. On the following day a thin pellicle of horn 

 will frequently be found over a part or the whole of the wound. This should 

 be, yet very lightly, again touched with the caustic ; but if there is an appear- 

 ance of fungus sprouting from the exposed surface, the application of the butyr 

 must be more severe, the tow being again placed over it, so as to afford consider- 

 able yet uniform pressure. Many days do not often elapse before the new horn 

 covers the whole of the wound. In these extensive openings the Friar's balsam 

 will not always be successful, but the cure must be effected by the judicious and 

 never- too-severe use of the caustic. Bleeding at the toe, and physic, will be 

 resorted to as useful auxiliaries when much inflammation arises. 



In searching the foot in order to ascertain the existence of prick, there is often 

 something very censurable in the carelessness with which the horn is cut away 

 between the bottom of the crust and the sole, so as to leave little or no hold for 

 the nails, although some months must elapse before the horn will grow down 

 sufficiently far for the shoe to be securely fastened. 



When a free opening has been made below, and matter has not broken out at 

 the coronet, it will rarely be necessary to remove any portion of the horn at the 



