252 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



will prevent its extending either way. Draw 

 your lines almost to the quick, but not 

 through. Now dress your foot again, binding 

 well up, as before directed. On examining 

 the foot a second time, if the parts do not 

 suppurate, you will find them dry, and look- 

 ing kindly in appearance. This being the 

 case, take a fine drawing-knife, and pare 

 down the edges of the fissure, being careful 

 not to draw blood ; and observe if there 

 appears any oozing at the etlges. If so apply 

 a little of the solution of nitrate of silver to the 

 edges, with the point of a feather ; then pro- 

 ceed to dress the wound with tar, fill the 

 fissure full, smear the foot all over with it. 

 Have ready a plegit of tow, which place over 

 all as before. Put on a bar-shoe, and lay it 

 off well at the fissure, so that there may be no 

 bearing. Now take your tar-brush, and apply 

 ail over the foot again. Repeat this dressing 

 at least twice a week. 



Dwing the disease give the Horse eight or 

 ten alterative balls. (^See medicine.) 



PUNCTURED FOOT. 



Punctured foot is an exceeding common 

 thing with Horses, and frequently attended 

 with a great deal of pain and difficulty, and 

 in some cases, with death. The under part 

 of the foot is so continually exposed to sharp 

 bodies of every kind, whilst travelling, and 

 the injuries may arise from various bodies ; 

 such as nails, pieces of pointed bone, flints, 

 pieces of glass, &c. Sometimes the heel of 

 the shoe may be too long, and if accidentally 

 the Horse should step on it, and partially pull 

 it off, and a nail puncture the foot before you 

 are aware of it ; also the accidental puncture 

 of a nail during shoeing, is one of the most 

 frequent causes of it. Injuries of this kind 



are proportioned in their effect according to 

 the parts punctured. A puncture through 

 the fleshy frog, even to the vascular portion, is 

 not so productive of such consequences, as 

 apparently a more superficial opening made 

 through the centre of the sole, which may 

 destroy the animal. Whenever a puncture of 

 sufficient depth to penetrate the bony connec- 

 tions, and synovia escapes, the parts should 

 be carefully examined with a probe ; and if 

 the suppuration have not commenced, apply 

 compound tincture of myrrh on a small bit of 

 lint. This treatment, in a few days, will heal 

 the wound. Do not forget to place a large 

 plegit of tow over all, to keep out the wet and 

 dirt. 



If, however, this treatment has been neg- 

 lected, and suppuration has taken place, im- 

 mediately apply a bran poultice to the part 

 affected, moistened well with gourlard water, 

 morning and night, to be renewed every day, 

 until a healthy secretion takes place, when 

 dress as directed before, with compound tinc- 

 ture of myrrh. Should there be any thing 

 like spongy flesh make its appearance through, 

 touch it lightly with diluted butter of anti- 

 mony, and put your dress over that. These 

 simple modes of dressing you will find to have 

 a much more beneficial effect than all the vio- 

 lent farago of caustics, so much in common 

 use. 



Sometimes deep posterior punctures may 

 penetrate as far as the tendon itself, occasion- 

 ing great pain and inflammation. If you 

 make an early discovery of the accident, in- 

 troduce a little tow, saturated with tincture 

 of myrrh. If the inflammation be great, bleed 

 from the plate-vein, and give alterative medi- 

 cine Qsee medicine,) every second day. Should 

 this not reduce the inflammation so quick as 



