SAND-CRACK. 299 



by paring llio sole and rasping the quarters, and using liie shoe witltout 

 nails on Uie inner quarter. This is a case, however, vvhicli must be turned 

 over to tiie veterinary surgeon, for he alone, from his knowledge of tiie 

 anatomy of the foot, and the precise seat of the disease, is competent to 

 treat it. If attacked on its earliest appearance, and before ulceration of 

 the membrane of the joint has taken place, it may be radically cured, but 

 ulceration of the membrane will be with difficulty healed, and caries of the 

 bone will for ever remain. Blistering tiie coronet will often assist in pro- 

 moiing a cure by diverting the inflammation to another pait, and it will 

 matermlly quicken the growth of the horn ; and a seton passed through the 

 frog by a skilful operator, and approaching as nearly as possible to tlie seat 

 of disease, has been serviceable. 



In cases of old contraction, attended by a short and fee/ing step, neiiroL- 

 omy, or the cutting out of a portion of the nerve, (for an explanation of 

 the nature and effects of which, see page 110,) may be resorted to with 

 decided advantage. Not only will the lameness be removed, but, by the 

 foot being againbrouglit fully and firmly upon the ground, the inner side 

 of the shoe being unfettered by nails, a portion of the contraction may be 

 removed by the sole being allowed to descend and the foot to expand at each 

 contact with the ground. 



Even when the navicular joint is particularly suspected, if there be no 

 apparent inflammation, (and that would be readily detected by the heat of 

 he foot,) neurotomy may be practised, with the hope of alleviating tiie suf- 

 ferings of the animal, and tiius removing a portion of the lameness; but if 

 the lameness be extreme, either with or without contraction, and especially 

 if there be heat about the foot, the operation is dangerous. There is, pro- 

 bably, ulceration of the membrane — possibly, decay of the bone ; and tlie 

 additional friction to which the parts would be subjected, by the freer action 

 of the horse, the sense of pain being removed, would cause that ulceration 

 or decay to proceed more rapidly, until the foot would be completely disor- 

 ganized, or the tendon would be gradually worn through by rubbing against 

 the roughened surface of the bone. 



SAND-CRACK. 



This, as its name imports, is a crack or division of the hoof from above 

 downward, and into which sand and dirt are too apt to insinuate themselves; 

 or, as some say, because it most frequently occurs in sandy districts, the 

 heat of the sand, applied to the feet, giving them a dispoaition to crack. 

 They occur both in the fore and the hind feet. In the foro feet they are 

 usually found in the inner quarter (see ^, p. 254,) but ociyS tonally in the 

 outer quarter, because at the quarter is the principal strca-^o/ effort towards 

 expansion in the foot, and the inner quarter is weaker than the outer. In 

 the hind feet the crack is almost invariably found in the front, because in 

 the digging of the toe into the ground in the act of drawing, the principal 

 stress is in front. 



This is a most serious defect. It indicates a brittleness of the crust, 

 sometimes natural, but oftener the consequence of mismanagement or 

 disease, which, in spite of every means adopted, will probably be the source 

 of future annoyance. On a hoof that has once been thus divided no 

 dependence can be placed, unless, by great care, the natural suppleness of 

 ♦he horn has been restored and is retained. 



Sand-crack may happen in an instant from a false step or over-exertion ; 

 and therefore a horse, although he may spring a sanj-crarj; within an houl 

 nfter tlie purchase, cannot be returned on that account. 



