GREASE. 145 



joint, cracks soon make their appearance ; these increasing 

 considerably, present an entire mass of sores, which ulcerate 

 very much and assume a fungus-like appearance. 



It is easy to account for the tendency of the heels to 

 violent inflammatory attacks, which arises from their being 

 so remote from the centre of the circulation, and also their 

 constant exposure to extreme variations of temperature. 

 In the first place, when standing in the stable the feet 

 are subjected to a great degree of heat, from being at all 

 times surrounded with straw, and then when the door is 

 opened his heels, in many instances, being close to the door, 

 are exposed to any cold draught which may rush in ; and 

 then he may be taken from the stable to the open air and 

 walked through soft and cold mud, after being over-heated, 

 and thereby chilled. It is easy then to see that they are con- 

 stantly liable to inflammatory attacks by being thus exposed 

 to sudden transitions from one temperature to another, and 

 hence the difficulty of subduing those attacks of inflam- 

 mation to which the horse is liable. 



Farmers' and carriers' horses, and indeed those in general 

 which are worked in carts, are not so liable to grease as 

 riding and carriage-horses, being less exposed to those ex- 

 treme transitions from heat to cold, or vice versa. And 

 the hair, which is usually allowed to grow plentifully at the 

 heels, is a great protection against sudden changes. 



Kemedies. — The first thing to be done is to wash the heel 

 well with soap and warm water, and remove as much of 

 the white scurf as possible. When it has become perfectly 

 dry, which should be accomplished by rubbing, then the 

 following ointment should be applied until the parts are 

 healed : — 



Lard .... 1 ounce, 

 Sugar of lead, vjell pounded 1 drachm. 



