DISEASES OF THE FETLOCK, ANKLE, AND FOOT. 4.'U 



from the abuse of the rasp: the Irog, lu-els. aiul Imrs aio not to be 

 imitilatt'd witli the knife, nor shoukl lalks l>e used on the shoe exeept 

 when absokitely necessary. Tlie shoes shoukl be reset at least once a 

 month to i)revent the feet from becomings too long, and daily exercise 

 must be insisted on. 



As to curative measures, a ili\ersity of opinion exists. A number 

 of kinds of special shoes have been invented, having for an object the 

 spi-eadin<x of the heels, and perhaps any of these, if proj^erly used, 

 would eventually etfect the desired result. But a .serious objection 

 to most of these shoes is that they are expensive and often difficult to 

 make and apply. The method of ticatment which T have adoi)ted is 

 not only attended with good results, but is inexpensive, if the loss of 

 the patient's services for a time is not considered a part of the ques- 

 tion. Tt consists, first, in the use of ]>oultices or baths of cokl water 

 until the horn is thoroughly softened. The foot is now prepared for 

 the slioe in the usual way, except that the heels are lowered a little 

 and tlie frog remains untouched. A shoe, called a "tip," is made by 

 cutting otf both branches at the center of the foot and drawing the 

 ends down to an edge. The tapering of the branches should begin at 

 the toe, and the shoe should be of tlu> usual width, with both the upper 

 and lower sui-faces flat. This tij) is to be fastened on with six or eight 

 ,small nails, all set well foi-ward, two being in the toe. With a com- 

 mon foot rasp begin at the heels, close to the coronet, and cut away 

 the horn of the wall until only a thin layer covers the soft tissues 

 beneath. Cut forward until the new surface meets the old 2i or 3 

 inches fiom the heel. The same sloping shai)e is to be observed in 

 cutting downward toward the i>ottom of the foot, at which point the 

 wall is to retain its normal thickne.ss. The foot is now blistered all 

 round the coronet with Sj)anish-ny ointment: when this is well set, 

 tlie patient is to be turned to pa.sture in a damp field or me idow. The 

 blister should be repeated in three oi* four week.s, and, as a rule, the 

 patient can be returned to woik in two or three months. 



The ol)ject of the tip is to throw the weight on the frog and heels, 

 which are readdy spread after the horn has been cut away on the 

 sides of the wall. The internal .stiuctiu'es of the foot at the heels, 

 being relieved of excessive i)ressure, regain theii- nomal condition if 

 the disea.se is not of too long standing. The blister tends to relievo 

 any inflammation which may l>e piesent, and stimulatcvs a rapid 

 growth of healthy horn, which, in most ca.ses, ultimately fonns a 

 wide and normal heel. In old, chronic ca.ses, with a shrunken frog 

 and increased concavity of the sole, accompanietl with oxce.ssive 

 wasting of all the internal ti.ssues of the foot, satisfactory- re^sults can 

 not be expected and are rarely obtained. Still, much relief, if not 

 an entire cure, mav be effected bv these measures. 



