36 CLINICAL VETERINARY .MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 



line and expose the nail-holes, the animal meanwhile showing pain 

 and drawing away the foot, and in a moment it became clear that the 

 last nail was badly placed. On cutting down, the horn soon appeared 

 yellowish and infiltrated. Finally a little greyish pus exuded. The 

 horse had been pricked. 



I thoroughly thinned the inner heel, sole, bars, and posterior 

 portion of the quarter; in order to diminish compression of the injured 

 parts I slightly enlarged the opening in the sole, washed out the 

 purulent cavity with an antiseptic solution, and, as is our custom in 

 cases of this kind, enveloped the foot in a thick layer of tow, moistened 

 with five per cent, solution of sulphate of copper. 



The horse at once appeared to be relieved, and lameness had 

 diminished. During the evening, and following days, the tow dressing 

 was again moistened with sulphate of copper solution. For some time 

 the condition remained practically unchanged, but on the morning of 

 the 20th lameness was excessive, and the animal showed evidence of 

 shooting pains in the foot. Some complication existed, and it became 

 necessary to interfere more actively. 



The quarter having been thinned, the animal was cast on the right 

 side, the affected foot released from the hobbles, and fastened above the 

 hock of the same side. Opposite the point where the nail had pene- 

 trated I removed the entire horny wall for a distance of two to two 

 and a half inches in breadth, corresponding to the area over which I 

 concluded the sensitive tissues had become necrotic. In the lower 

 third the sensitive laminae, though thickened, infiltrated, and bright 

 red in colour, were only inflamed, but between this part and the coronet 

 was a black gangrenous patch as large as a two-shilling piece, dotted 

 over with greyish points. I removed this dead piece of tissue, exposing 

 at its upper part the lateral cartilage and below a narrow strip of the 

 pedal bone. I excised a thin layer of the cartilage, which already 

 appeared of a light green colour, and curetted the bone, the superficial 

 layers of which were infiltrated with pus. Finally I irrigated the 

 w^ound with a i in 1000 solution of sublimate, powdered it with iodo- 

 form, and covered the parts with a surgical wool dressing. The 

 operation and dressing had lasted about half an hour. 



On rising the horse walked much more comfortably than before 

 operation. The foot was not lifted in the same restless way ; the 

 lancinating pains had ceased. It was returned to its box, and at once 

 began to eat. This was about 10.30 a.m. 



At I o'clock in the afternoon my assistant came to sa}' that the 

 animal was showing signs of acute colic. Some of you had noted a 

 •distinct difference in the two spermatic cords, but did not suspect the 



