26 THE VETERINARIAN 



usually occur in the place where the skin becomes 

 wrinkled when the pastern joint is bent. The discharge 

 from cracked heels has an offensive smell. In early 

 stages there is extreme heat and swelling, there is pain 

 and lameness, which usually disappear as the case 

 becomes chronic. 



Treatment: Keep the affected parts clean as pos- 

 sible, if there is extreme inflammation present. Apply 

 hot poultice made from bran or flaxseed meal. When 

 the inflammation subsides, apply Zinc Ointment twice 

 daily. Before applying each application of ointment, 

 wash with Warm Water and Castile Soap. Feed carrots, 

 green grass, if possible, also hot bran mashes or steam 

 rolled oats each morning. Sometimes it is well to give 

 a physic, and I would recommend Aloin, one and one-half 

 drams; Ginger, two drams. A physic has very good 

 effect in reducing the swelling of the legs. 



COFFIN-JOINT LAMENESS 



(Navicular Disease) 



Cause: Driving young animals on hard roads. Al- 

 ways found in the front feet, owing no doubt to the fact 

 the front feet support largely the weight of the body. 



Symptoms: The symptoms are very hard to detect. 

 As a rule the animal will point the affected foot when 

 at rest even before there is any lameness present. While 

 at work he apparently goes sound, but when placed in 

 the stable, or when stopped on hard ground, one foot 

 will be set out in front of the other and resting on the 

 toe. It will be noticed that the animal takes a few lame 

 steps and then goes well again. Again he may be lame 

 for a day, or he may leave the stable in the morning 

 apparently well and sound and go lame during the day. 

 In the course of time he will develop a severe case of 

 lameness, which may last for five or six days. These 

 spells are intermittent and finally he becomes perma- 



