Ib2 CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OK 



prominent as in the acute form. It comes on gradually, and, like 

 other diseases of the feet, the great exciting cause is hard work — 

 especially irregular work. But it may be from faulty shoeing, which 

 sets up irritation, which extends and involves the laminae. Soft, 

 brittle and small feet are more liable ; that is, if the feet are out of 

 proportion to the size of the animal — a small horse should have a 

 small foot. Another cause is standing in the stable or on board of 

 ships. Those horses that are imported frequently suffer from this. 



Symptoms. — There is heat in the foot ; he walks with a kind of 

 stumbling action ; the laminae are likely to lose their attachment, 

 then the animal throws its weight upon the heels, throws the limb up 

 in a peculiar manner, and tries to bring the heel down first. It may 

 terminate in pumiced foot, even when the animal showed in great 

 pain, and perhaps worked all the time ; yet considerable changes may 

 have taken place. The foot may have been slightly tender, but no 

 well-marked lameness, and if it continues for any great length of time 

 the treatment is tedious and not very satisfactory — not so satisfactory 

 as in the acute form. The shoe, in most cases, should be removed ; 

 rasp the wall down at the heels, and it may be advisable to take off 

 some of the sole in some cases. Then apply poultices, or keep the ani- 

 mal standing in a water-bath ; use moistened clay, etc. Cow-dung is 

 recommended, but is very injurious, but it might be used with three or 

 four parts of clay, and kept moistened, but I do not recommend it. 

 Give a laxative ; do not keep the shoes off too long, and in some cases 

 it is not advisable to keep them off at all. If the sole is very thin, it 

 may be necessary to keep the shoes on. After the heat and tenderness 

 is removed, then use a bar shoe — a shoe thinner at the heel than at the 

 toe. If the irritation continues then blister around the corona, and 

 well up toward the fetlock, and use such an animal carefully. If it is 

 a valuable animal, and in the spring of the year, turning out in a soft 

 nioist pasture is of great benefit. Such an animal is not usually valu- 

 able for fast work, but may be valuable for slow work. Another 

 symptom is wasting of the muscles of the limb and chest, giving rise 

 to the so-called chest founder. However, there is no such disease. 

 The result of laminitis is 



Pumiced Foot. — This is not a very good name, but it is difficult to 

 change the name of some diseases. It is a name applied to the condi- 

 tion of the foot where the sole becomes convex, due to descent of the 

 coffin bone. But there are certain conditions seen, especially in a flat 

 foot, where the walls have been cut down, etc., where the sole is con- 

 vex and not due to laminitis, but to faulty shoeing. In this case there 

 will not be the effort to throw the weight upon the heel. In pumiced 

 foot the descent is toward the toe of the frog, and the wall is thinnest 

 there — so thin it can be easily cut through into the sensitive part. 

 Pumiced foot is easily detected by the unnatural convexity of the sole. 

 This may occur in either the fore or hind feet. If in the hind feet, it 

 is generally the result of a severe attack of laminitis, and the bone 

 may descend through the sole. If there is irritation, endeavour to 

 allay it by the ordinary means — poulticing, water-baths, etc. — then 

 apply a nice-fitting bar or concave seated shoe ; then a blister around 

 the corona ; and a run in pasture is of great benefit. A horse that has 

 been so affected is not serviceable for that work, but may do upon a 

 farm. 



Yillitis is inflammation of the secreting villi, and 



Coronitis is inflammation of the corona. The causes, symptoms 

 and treatment are the same as in laminitis. 



