136 DISEASES OF THE FEET AND LEGS. 



from delicacy of or accident to the sole, the sensible 

 part becomes affected. A suppurative sinus is formed, 

 eating away till it often comes out at the coronet. Once 

 it reaches this, the animal, unless of great value, might 

 as well be destroyed, the restorative process being of a 

 most tedious and expensive character, requiring con- 

 tinual manipulation by a surgeon. 



By careful shoeing (where nails are not driven out 

 of their proper direction) and a most exact examination 

 of the foot where any extraneous matter, such as glass, 

 gravel, &c, is suspected of having entered or damaged 

 it, quittor will most probably be avoided. 



Canker seldom attacks gentlemen's horses, or well- 

 bred ones. It is literally a change of a portion of the 

 foot into a kind of fungus, sometimes commencing in 

 the sole, sometimes in the frogs, and is aggravated by 

 foul litter, bad stabling, and general bad care. 



As no dressing or external application will restore 

 the foot without manipulation, a surgeon only can deal 

 with it. 



Cracked and Greasy Heels. — Animals of languid cir- 

 culation in the extremities are more susceptible of such 

 diseases, which are induced and aggravated by lazy 

 ignorant grooms pursuing their objectionable practice 

 of wetting the legs, and leaving them to dry themselves. 

 — See page 13. 



Symptoms are tumefaction and soreness of the hinder 

 part of the pasterns, even to fissures emitting matter. 



Clip away the hair in the first instance, so as to be 

 able to cleanse the sore by washing it with warm water 

 and soft soap, drying it perfectly. Then apply glycerine 

 lotion (page 158). 



If the sore seems likely to incapacitate the animal 



