72 



and worse every day he is put to work, the lameness 

 never leaving him altogether. When the adhesion 

 begins extensively, the inflammation and swelling are 

 eqaaliy so ; the pain is then very great, and the lame- 

 ness complete and permanent. '1 his denotes the dis- 

 order called " strain of the back sinews." In very 

 bad cases, or where a slight attack has continued 

 some time, the ligament that passes between the back 

 sinew and the pastern bones becomes greatly diseas- 

 ed, and conducts the inflammation to the foot, anect- 

 ing alike the sole, the coflin-bone, and the hoof, with 

 heat. 



" Fever in the foot," is that low state of the symp- 

 toms which arises from a slight attack which has been 

 neglected ; the more virulent attack must come under 

 fiejjaraie notice. 



Cure — Rest is indispensible ; foment the entire 

 foot wiih wnrm bran water, or make the whole into a 

 poultice sufficient to envelope the foot all over, as 

 high as the inflammation may extend, which is some- 

 times as far up as ihe fetlock. When the heat is 

 greatest at the sole, and the fever extends no higher 

 than the coronet, a stuffiing of cow-dung will reduce 

 the heat considerably ; it may be secured by thin 

 splinters of wood, and changed twice the first day or 

 two — once a day afterwards. Introduce a strong so- 

 lution of nitre, and 1ft it be strong, as you cannot em- 

 ploy much of it. Both legs should be sluffed at the 

 sole, though the soiind one (if one only be aflected,) 

 does not require changing. Let the animal have a 

 loosti stall during any stage of straiu, or disorder of 

 the limbs. Look alter his evacuations, and cause 

 them to be regular ; a simple fever, or inflammation, 

 of the foot depending very often upon nothing more 

 than one or the other of these being slopped, which 

 affects the whole aniinal system sometimes, to say 

 riothmg of a single linib. 



Violent sprains or strains, and swelling above the 

 fetlock joint, when the lameness is very great, require 

 strong physic ; and the inflammatory symptoms, when 

 running very high, with a quick and irregular pulse, 

 should be lowered by bleeding. Apply fomentaliona 

 of bran, or a poultice of the same, or of oatrae-al, m 



