n6 



HORSE— DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 



other; but it is- somewhat difficult to say 

 whether this is a cause or a consequence 

 of inflammation. One thing is quite 

 clear, that many horses are met with, still 

 perfectly free from lameness, in which 

 there is a difference of size in their fore 

 feet ; but whether or no these are after- 

 wards invariably the subjects of navicu- 

 lar disease, it is almost impossible to 

 ascertain. It is, however, the general 

 opinion, founded on experience, that 

 when this variation exists, navicular dis- 

 ease is extremely likely to attack the 

 smaller foot, if it is not already there; 

 and for this reason, horses with such feet 

 are generally avoided by the intending 

 purchaser. 



The treatment of navicular disease, as 

 before remarked, is only successful in the 

 early stage, before either ulceration or ad- 

 hesion has taken place. If a horse with 

 strong, concave soles suddenly becomes 

 lame, points his toe, and shows other 

 signs that his navicular bone is inflamed, 

 he should be treated in the usual way 

 suited to inflammation, and at the same 

 time liberty should be given to the vascu- 

 lar tissues to expand, by reducing the 

 substance of the horn. Bleeding at the 

 toe has the double good effect of abstract- 

 ing blood, and at the same time weaken- 

 ing the sole, so as to allow of the expan- 

 sion which is desired. The operation 

 should, therefore, at once be performed; 

 at the same time, the whole sole may be 

 reduced in thickness, and the heels low- 

 ered in proportion. The foot should then 

 (after the shoe is tacked on) be placed in 

 a cold bran poultice, which will soften the 

 horn ; and the system should be reduced 

 by the exhibition of the medicines recom- 

 mended under Laminitis. Next day, if 

 the pulse continues high, more blood may 

 be taken; but, in ordinary cases, it is 

 better at once to insert a seton in the frog 

 (see Figure 27,) and trust to this for 

 relieving the chronic inflammation re- 

 maining, by its counter-irritation. But 

 when the disease itself is mastered, there 

 is still a good deal to be done to prevent 

 the injurious effects which are so apt to 

 follow. The horse contracts a habit ot 

 stepping on his toes, to prevent hurting 

 his navicular structures; and hence the 

 frog is not used, the heels of the crust 

 and the bars are not strained, and there 

 being no stimulus to the soft parts which 



secrete them, they waste and contract in 

 size. If the human hand is allowed to> 

 lie idle, the palm and the insides of the: 

 fingers are covered with a delicate cuticle,, 

 which affords so poor a protection to the 

 cutis, that, on using it with any kind of 

 hard work, it actually separates, and 

 leaves an exposed surface, which speedily 

 inflames. But by gradually exposing the 

 same hand to pressure, a thickened and 

 tougher cuticle is secreted; and this will 

 bear any moderate amount of pressure 

 or friction without injury. Nevertheless,. 

 even the hand so prepared must be con- 

 tinually stimulated by work, or the skin 

 returns to its original delicate state, and: 

 is then exposed to the same risk of injury 

 as before. So it is with the horse's foot, 

 even in a state of health ; but this is far 

 more marked after an attack of disease.. 

 The tendency then is to produce the na- 

 tural horny growths of a smaller sub- 

 stance than before ; and if the secreting 

 surfaces are not stimulated by pressure,, 

 they become doubly idle, and the frog,, 

 as well as the adjacent parts beneath the 

 navicular bone, shows a wasted and shriv- 

 elled appearance. To avoid the risk of 

 these ill consequences, the horse should, 

 be placed, for two or three hours daily,, 

 on a bed of wet clay, which will allow 

 the shoe to sink into it, but will yet be 

 tenacious enough to make firm and 

 steady pressure on the frog, while its low 

 temperature will keep down inflammation. 

 No plan is of so much service in pro- 

 ducing what is called expansion of the 

 heels and growth of the frog as this ; not,, 

 as is commonly supposed, from the clay 

 mechanically pressing the heels out, but 

 from the stimulus of its pressure causing 

 the soft parts to secrete more horn, and. 

 of a sounder quality than before. 



Should these remedies fail in restoring 

 the foot affected with navicular disease to 

 a healthy state, recourse can only be had 

 to the operation of neurotomy, which is. 

 perfectly efficacious in removing the lame- 

 ness; and if there is no ulceration, and 

 merely an adhesion of the tendon to the 

 bone, it will, by causing the horse to step 

 more on his heels, effect an absolute 

 improvement in the shape of the foot, 

 and hence it has sometimes been consid- 

 ered to have produced a cure. Where,, 

 however, there is caries of the bone, or 

 even ulceration of the synovial membrane,, 



