SAND-CRACK. 377 



perpetuated. A sand-crack never unites, and a new crust must 

 be cultivated. 



There are two operations applicable to sand-crack after the 

 inflammation has subsided, namely, the French plan of " strip- 

 ping," and the English method of " clasping." The first should 

 be performed only in very aggravated and long-standing cases. 

 It consists in making a groove on either side of the crack ; the 

 two grooves originating in a point about the middle of it, 

 extending upwards to the coronet, and gradually diverging from 

 each other, so as to include, at the coronet, nearly an inch of 

 wall on either side of the fissure in the form of the letter V- 

 The horn is to be cut completely through, and then the whole 

 of it included in the grooves is to be stripped off from the point 

 to the coronet. If any remains of the sand-crack be seen in 

 the sensitive laminae, they are to be cut off with a sharp knife. 

 Cold applications, bandages, and mild astringents, with rest, will 

 constitute all the after treatment necessary ; time being allowed 

 for the growth of new horn before the animal is put to work. 



The second method — that of " clasping " — is of two kinds, is 

 much milder, and answers the purpose in the majority of cases. 

 First performed as follows : — The horn immediately attached to 

 the coronet above the crack is to be pared away, so as to com- 

 pletely disconnect the diseased horn from the coronary sub- 

 stance ; then a clasp is to be applied, w^hich may now be obtained, 

 with the necessary instruments, from any surgical instrument 

 maker. The second, and the better when the horn is sufficiently 

 thick, as when the crack is in the toe, is to cut a notch with the 

 drawing-knife about half-an-inch from each side of the crack, as 

 near the coronet as possible, and about a quarter of an inch 

 deep, and sufficiently large to. allow the imbedding of tlie 

 head of a small horse-nail. If the crack be an old one and Ion", 

 other notches are to be cut an inch lower down, and ordinary 

 horse-nails, pointed with a broad point on the reverse side, are 

 carefully driven into the horn through those notches, embracing 

 both sides of the fissure, long clenches being left, and the crack 

 drawn closely together with the pincers, the clenches fastened 

 down, and the whole rasped smooth. The rationale of these 

 methods is to prevent all motion in the crack during the 

 movements of the animal. In this way a horse may be em- 

 ployed for his usual work during the growth of the new horn \ 



