So CLINICAL VETKRINARY .MKDICINE AND SURGERY. 



lameness was extremely marked, and five or six days later the patient 

 was sent here. When seen by us the left hind foot was scarcely 

 brought in contact with the ground, the lower part of the limb was 

 greatly swollen, and the animal continually lifted the foot, showing 

 signs of darting (lancinating) pain. Pus, mixed with synovia, escaped 

 from the wound on the under surface of the foot, around which, for 

 a distance of an inch, the exposed sensitive tissues were swollen 

 and exuberantly granulating. The case was one of picked-up nail, 

 complicated by suppurative inflammation of the small sesamoid (navi- 

 cular) sheath, and possibly by necrosis of the plantar aponeurosis. We 

 might have thinned the foot, laid open the sinus, and afterwards used 

 baths and antiseptic dressings, but such treatment gave little hope of 

 success. Operation was evidently preferable, and was arranged for the 

 day afterwards. 



The usual method was employed, with the modification, however, 

 of which I have just spoken. After stripping the sole I divided the 

 plantar cushion at right angles to its surface, so as to preserve the 

 larger part. The plantar aponeurosis, being exposed, was divided 

 transversely, a little in front of the posterior margin of the navicular 

 bone, and dissected away, the sides, however, being spared as much as 

 possible. The nail had touched the inner facet of the navicular, where 

 it had produced a small wound and a patch of ostitis. I curetted the 

 lower surface of the bone, forming a slight depression at the injured 

 point. In the excised portion of the aponeurosis was a necrotic ring 

 surrounding the sinus ; the stump showed a greyish point, where the 

 fibres were a little softened and possibly necrotic, but the terminal 

 portion of the aponeurosis was healthy over its entire area of insertion, 

 and was therefore not touched. I did not interfere with the pedal 

 bone. Having freely irrigated the wound with lukewarm two per cent, 

 carbolic solution, the greyish point on the end of the tendon was touched 

 with tincture of iodine, which was also applied to the hollow formed in 

 the navicular bone, the wound was powdered with iodoform, and after- 

 wards plugged with gauze. To prevent discharge accumulating in the 

 cul-de-sac behind the tendon sheath, I was careful to lift the end of the 

 aponeurosis and pass the gauze under it. Finally I applied the surgical 

 dressing usually employed after serious operations on the foot. 



On rising the mare placed more weight on the diseased limb, and 

 appeared in less pain than before operation. That evening the tempe- 

 rature rose to 39"3° C. (1027° F.). The day after the foot was 

 rested on the toe, and the animal suffered from lancinating pain ; but it 

 ate most of its food, the general condition was satisfactory, and the 

 fever moderate. During the first week the condition remained prac- 



