260 HORSE, SWINE AND POULTRY DISEASES 



dally on rough roads and slippery streets. The fore feet are more 

 liable than the hind ones, and the seat of injury is commonly on 

 the quarters. In the hind feet the wound often results from the 

 animal resting with the heel of one foot set directly over the front 

 of the other. In these cases the injury is generally close to the horn, 

 and often involves the coronary band, the sensitive lamina?, the 

 extensor tendon, and even the coffin bone. 



Treatment. Preventive measures include the use of boots to 

 protect the coronet of the hind foot, and the use of a -blunt calk on 

 the outside heel of the fore shoe, since this is generally the offending 

 instrument where the sore feet are injured. If the wound is not 

 deep, and the soreness slight, cold-water bandages and a light pro- 

 tective dressing, such as carbolized cosmoline, will be all that is 

 needed. Where the injury is deep, followed by inflammation and 

 suppuration of the coronary band, lateral cartilages, sensitive lam- 

 inae, etc., active measures must be resorted to. Cold, astringent 

 baths, made by adding 2 ounces of sulphate of iron to 1 gallon of 

 water, should be used, followed by poultices if it is necessary to has- 

 ten the cleansing of the wound by stimulating the sloughing process. 

 Where the wound is deep between the horn and skin, especially over 

 the anterior tendon, the horn should be cut away so that the injured 

 tissues may be exposed. The subsequent treatment in these cases 

 should follow the directions laid down in the article on toe cracks. 



FROSTBITES. 



Excepting the ears, the feet and legs are about the only parts of 

 the horse liable to become frostbitten. The cases most commonly 

 seen are found in cities, especially among car horses, where salt is 

 used for the purpose of melting the snow on curves and switches. 

 This mixture of snow and salt is splashed over the feet and legs, 

 rapidly lowering the temperature of the parts to the freezing point. 

 In mountainous districts, where the snowfall is heavy and the cold 

 often intense, frostbites are not uncommon even among animals 

 running at large. 



Treatment. Simple frostbites are best treated by cold fomen- 

 tations followed by applications of 5 per cent solution of carbolized 

 oil. When portions of the skin are destroyed, their early separation 

 ehould be hastened by warm fomentations and poultices. Ulcers are 

 to be treated by the application of stimulating dressings, such as 

 carbolized oil, a 1 per cent solution of nitrate of silver or of chloride 

 of zinc, with pads of oakum and flannel bandages. In many of 

 these cases recovery is exceedingly slow. The new tissue by the de- 

 stroyed skin is replaced always shrinks in healing, and, as a conse- 

 quence, unsightly scars are unavoidable. Where the coronary band 

 is involved it is generally advisable to blister the coronet over the 

 seat of injury as soon as the suppuration ceases, for the purpose of 

 stimulating the growth of new horn. Where a crevasse is formed be- 

 tween the old and new horn no serious trouble is likely to be met with 

 until the cleft is nearly grown out, when the soft tissues may be ex- 

 posed by a breaking off of the partly detached horn. But even where 



