102 The Management and Treatment of the Horse, 



Surgeons. He said, " Our treatment is all of a 

 prophylactic kind ; firstly preventive measures are the 

 great resource, the taking care of the stable ere the steed 

 is lost is our watchword; but cases will make their 

 appearance, and although not one case in ten of those 

 pronounced to be navicular disease are of that type, yet 

 in various stages of progress cases of the navicular disease 

 frequently appear. My remedies," said the Professor, " in 

 these cases consist in taking very much the same 

 measure as I adopt for the prevention or rather the 

 maintenance of healthy action regardless of any particular 

 disease. I remove causes, i.e., in the first place the shoes 

 and withdraw all ascertainable causes of pain as soon as 

 possible ; rest and some fomentation to the feet are 

 amongst the most effective means. Continued rest in a 

 loose box for two or three weeks may be necessary, during 

 which time the feet will acquire form and strength from 

 the treatment I carry out, viz., no softening application 

 after the first two or three days when circulation of the 

 blood will have found its equilibrium over the foot, after 

 which cleanliness and care, and abstaining from 

 debilitating the hoof is observed. But we may say this 

 is not surgery ; would you not blister, bleed, insert setons, 

 and if lameness continued persistent unnerve the horse ? 

 I shake my head and say — No. It is not pretended that 

 I can cure all cases submitted to me of the character, 

 under notice. Then what is to be done with the 

 incurables ? are they not to be submitted to the ordinary 

 routine of successive operations ? I can hardly be made 

 to reply ; and for the following reasons. I saw so much 

 of what is called the surgery of these cases in my early 



