— S22 — 



sometimes bleeding from the crack. To prevent, or rather to cause 

 the new horn to grow down wliole and without a crack in it, a 

 piece of iron is to be placed in the fire and made red hot, and then 

 applied, just for a moment, flat on the hair at the head of the 

 crack sufficient to make a scab. This will insure a solid growth 

 of horn. Promote the growth of the horn as speedily as possible, 

 to facilitate the cure ; a strap is used by some round the hoof to 

 prevent opening of the crack. 



(9.) Navicular Disease. — This is a disease of a bone in the 

 foot of a horse, a serious disease, and often very obscure in its 

 symptoms, altogether depending as to the advanced condition of 

 the disease. Happily, however, it is scarcely met with, and then 

 only in the common hack horse. It consists of ulceration, of 

 various degrees, on the surface of the navicular bone within the 

 foot. 



Causes. Hard and constant work upon streets paved with 

 stones. Slight inflammation neglected and the horse not laid up 

 until it gets w^ell, and then inflammation increasing, until it ends 

 in ulceration of the bone. 



Symptom. Obscure, or at least very like many of the s^'mptoms 

 similar to other diseases of the feet and legs. It is chiefly deter- 

 mined by the undue heat in the foot, and by the fact that no dis- 

 ease can be detected elsewhere or of a different kind. In lameness 

 of other portions, not in the foot, we have heat and swelling — the 

 hoof or foot of the horse cannot swell. It is a box, and we cannot 

 see into it to examine its contents and condition. 



Treatment. Incurable, although much can be done to relieve the 

 pain by the application of moisture, poultices, and occasionally 

 placing the hoof in warm water to soften and relieve pressure. 

 Some have recommended a. blister round the coronet. I cannot 

 see on what scientific or other grounds it will do good. In well- 

 established cases, and in good strong feet, the division of the 

 nerves which run down on each side of the leg and into the foot, 

 will relieve the pain and the horse will go well for years. But un- 

 fortunately many cases so operated upon have lost their hoofs by 

 falling off, which have been unjusth^ laid to the operation. The 

 cause of this is not so much in tlie operation as in the operator 

 having no judgment as to the kind of hoof, and whether the op- 



