ACUTE FOUNDER. lol 



After these symptoms have been manifested, the first 

 thing to be done is to examine the foot, when it will be 

 found very hot. Tap gently on the foot with a hammer, 

 which will cause the artery at the pastern to throb violently, 

 and the horse will express pain at the same time. The 

 effects of inflammation in the foot are very rapid, and but a 

 short time will elapse before the horse will be quite unable 

 to get up, unless some means are adopted to check the 

 progress of the complaint. Even when horses have been 

 forced up while thus afflicted, they have been known to fall 

 down immediately, from the intensity of pain which they 

 suffered by resting on their feet. 



Remedies. — The treatment of this should be like that of 

 all other inflammatory complaints. Bleeding must therefore 

 be immediately resorted to, and that ought to be copious. 

 If the disease is in the fore feet, three quarts of blood must 

 be taken from the toe of each foot, at the position pointed 

 out (plate 6, fig. 10, w,) and in the manner described at 

 page 118. After this large poultices of lintseed-meal 

 should be applied, so as to cover the entire foot and pastern, 

 and these ought to be frequently replaced by fresh ones. 

 The shoe should be removed, and the sole pared as thin as 

 possible, and the crust of the hoof well rasped down, more 

 especially in the quarters. This operation should be done 

 as gently as possible, as in founder the pain experienced from 

 the excessive inflammation is very great. This having been 

 accomplished, recourse must be had to very mild purgatives. 

 The following may be given in the form of a ball : — 

 Barbadoes aloes . . 1 ounce, 

 Calomel ... 2 drachms, 



Jalap . . . . -^ drachm. 

 Inflammation of the foot is always accompanied by 

 intense fever, and there is a danger of the inflammation 



