HORSE— CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



55 



where they are continually covered with 

 wet manure. Running in a wet yard 

 predisposes to it. Gamgee describes 

 thrush as " a diseased condition of the vil- 

 lous membrane covering the frog," and 

 says that it is, in its usual form, produced 

 by filth and neglect. 



The true seat of the disease is, we be- 

 lieve, in the superficial and less fibrous tis- 

 sues of the sensitive frog. It is doubtful 

 if true inflammation is present. Pain is 

 usually present in inflamed tissues, 

 and thrush is, to a remarkable de- 

 gree, a painful disease. One of the 

 properties of the sensitive frog is to se- 

 crete the tissue that becomes the horny 

 frog. Now if, by reason of local or con- 

 stitutional debility, the secretive action of 

 the part is imperfect ; if the secreted mat- 

 ter, lacking vitality instead of producing 

 horrf, breaks down into pus, or pus min- 

 gled with half-formed and decomposing 

 horn, we should get just the condition 

 we have in thrush. 



In a healthy frog the cleft is so perfect- 

 ly covered over by an arch of horn that 

 fluid could escape only through an artifi- 

 cial opening; but in this diseased condi- 

 tion the horn is both in so imperfect a 

 state from defect in its original secretion, 

 and so disintegrated by the direct influ- 

 ence upon it of the diseased secretion, 

 that the offensive pus escapes freely from 

 it. 



It has been claimed that contracted feet 

 and too great and long continued paring 

 of the frog, are the main causes of this 

 disease. They undoubtedly predispose 

 to it, as they contribute, by change of the 

 form of the foot, to effect a change in the 

 nutrition of the organ. But thrush is 

 seen, perhaps, in a well-spread, open foot 

 as frequently as in a contracted one. 

 Constitutional condition has much to do 

 with the local manifestation. An ani- 

 mal poorly nourished and cared for, 

 other things being equal, will be more 

 likely to exhibit the disease. 



Any treatment that loses sight of the 

 constitutional condition will tail to do its 

 best work. First of all, the horse should 

 be placed in a stall having a dry floor, or 

 on a short and dry sward, covering a warm, 

 sandy soil. Then he should have thor- 

 oughly nutricious diet, and, if the disease 

 has been of long standing, alterative and 

 tonic medicines may be given. Red 



bark, sulphuret of antimony, and nitre, in 

 the proportion of two parts of the first to 

 one part each of the last two ; or a ball,, 

 consisting of a quarter of a grain of 

 strychnine, half a drachm of iodide of 

 iron, half a scruple of extract of bella- 

 donna, and extract of gentian and pow- 

 dered quassia sufficient to make it, may 

 be given night and morning. The foot 

 should be put into a bath of warm water 

 and thoroughly cleansed; all dust and 

 pus should be carefully removed from the 

 commissures, and the part dried by the 

 use of dry tow. Then into the crevices 

 should be poured, once a day, a litttle of 

 a solution of the chloride of zinc (three 

 grains to the ounce of water). The foot 

 is to be kept shod with calkins, so that a 

 free space may be left under the foot for 

 the circulation of the air. Cases will 

 yield more readily to simply constitutional 

 than to simply local treatment. A judi- 

 cious combination of the two will have 

 the happiest results. 



HORSE, Canker of the Foot.— The- 

 condition of thrush neglected may pass 

 into that of canker. Canker of the 

 foot may be an original disease in low- 

 bred, ill-conditioned horses, exposed in 

 wet or filthy stables or yards, and poorly 

 cared for. It more frequently, however,., 

 follows thrush which has been neglected. 

 It commences in the same tissues, rapidly 

 extending from the frog to the sole and 

 and the laminated structures. The dis- 

 ease consists in destructive inflammation^ 

 with ulceration, which destroys the con- 

 nection between the sensitive and hor- 

 ny sole and frog. After a time a foul 

 fungus sprouts from the ulcerations, ac- 

 companied with exceedingly disagreeable 

 discharge. The horn of the sole and frog 

 becomes disorganized, and breaks down. 

 The fungoid granulations, with the con- 

 stitutional depravity which predisposes to 

 them, constitute the disease. 



The treatment consists in the removal 

 by the knife, of all the detached horn,, 

 togetuer with as much of the fungoid tis- 

 sue as can be removed without the loss 

 of too much blood, and the application 

 of astringents and mild caustics, so ap- 

 plied as to remove the remaining fungus 

 and to change the action of the part. 

 Constitutional treatment, tonics* and alter- 

 atives, with good care and nutritious food,, 

 will do much in causing a succesful issue. 



