308 THE HORSE. 



copious and more oilensive; the horn gradually disappears; a ma-^s of 

 hardened nnicus usurps its place; tliis easily peels oil", and the sensible frog 

 remains exposed ; the horse cannot bear it to be touched ; fungous granula- 

 tions spring from it; l.hey spread around; the sole becomes undei run, and 

 canker steals over the greater part ol' liie foot. 



There are lew errors more common or more dangerous, than that the 

 existence of thrush is a matter of little consequence, or even, as some 

 suppose, a benefit to the horse — a discharge for superabundant humours^ 

 and that it should not be dried up too quickly, and in some cases not dried 

 up at all. If a young colt, i'at and full of blood, has a bad thrush, witli 

 much discharge, it may be prudent to accompany the attempt at cure by 

 a dose of physic or a course of diuretics; a lew diureiics may not be 

 injurious when we are endeavouring to dry up thrush in older horses: but 

 disease can scarcely be attacked too soon or subdued too rapidly, and 

 especially a disease which steals on so insidiously, and has such fatal con- 

 sequences in its train. If the heels once begin to contract through the 

 baneful etiect of thrush, it will always with difriculty, or frequently not 

 at all, be afterwards removed. 



There are many recipes to stop a running thrush. Almost every appli- 

 cation of an astringent, but not of too caustic a nature, will have the etiect. 

 The common Egyptiacum (vinegar boiled with hcney and verdigris) is 

 a very good liniment; but the most etlectual and the safest, drying up the 

 discharge speedily, but not suddenly, is a paste composed of two ounces of 

 blue and one of white vitriol, powdered as finely as possible, and rubbed 

 down with one pound of tar and two of lard. A pledget of tow covered 

 with it should be introduced as deeply as possible, yet without ibrce, into 

 the cleft of the frog every night, and removed every morning before the 

 horse goes to work. Attention should at the same time, as in other diseases 

 of the foot, be paid to the apparent cause of the complaint, and that cause 

 should be carefully obviated or removed. Before tlie application of the 

 paste, the frog should be examined, and every loose part of the horn or 

 hardened discharge removed; and if much of the frog be then exposed, a 

 larger and wider piece of tow covered with the paste may be placed over it, 

 in addition to the pledget introduced into the cleft of the frog. It will be 

 necessary to preserve the frog moist while the cure is in progiess, and this 

 may be done by filling the feet with tow covered by common stoppmg, or 

 using the felt pad, likewise covered with it. Turning out would be preju- 

 dicial rather than of benetit to thrushy feet, except the dressing be 

 continued, and the feet defended from moisture. 



CANKER. 



Is a separation of the horn from the sensible part of the foot, and the 

 sprouting of fungous matter instead of it, and occupying a portion of, or 

 even the whole of the sole and frog. It is the occasional consequence of 

 bruise, puncture, corn, quiltor, and thrush, and is extremely difficult to 

 cure. It is more frequently the consequence of neglected thrush than of 

 any other disease of the foot. It is oftenest found in, and is almost peculiar 

 to the heavy breed of cart-horse, resulting partly from constitutional pre- 

 disposition. Horses with white legs and thick skins, and much hair upon 

 their legs, the very character of many of our dray-horses, are subject 

 to canker, especially if they have had an attack of grease, or tlieir heels 

 are habitually thick and greasy. The disposition to canker is certainly 

 hereditary. The dray-horse likewise has this disadvantage, that in order 

 to give him foot-hold, it is necessary to raise the heels of the hinder feel s& 



