2C0 REMEDIES; JOLNTED SI JOE. 



Whethei the attack be of the acute or the chron.c Kind, it dies if not re 

 licved; for the coffin-bone becomes rotten, and the hoof is cast off without the 

 possibihty of ever being renovated. In some constitutions, nature lends its 

 aid in critically raising a tumour at the coronet, the breaking whereof and the 

 discharge of offensive matter effects a cure. The same sort of critical tumour 

 as denoting the crisis of general fever, or inflammation, was noticed at page 

 114, "Critical Abscess." 



Remedy. — As soon as discovered takeoff the shoe, note well the condition 

 of the sole, the heat, and other symptoms, for according as these vary, so must 

 the remedies be changed. Draw the soles a little with the buttress if founJ 

 too thick, not otherwise ; rasp the heels anil quarters, which will ease the pain 

 occasioned by the binding of the hoof, and give room for the action of the foot; 

 a fact that may be ascertained by !)ending it at the pastern, forwards and 

 backwards, before the operation, and trying the same experiment afterwards. 

 Apply a bran poultice warm to the whole loot daily, but do not add to it any 

 greasy or oily substances as is too often practised. I'he sponge boot may be em- 

 ployed with advantage, made large. After three or four days, that the horn 

 has recovered hs former consistency, put on the shoe gently, and walk the 

 patient, to try in how much he is now lame; and if the attack has been a 

 slight one, he may recover with very little more treatment than a turn out in a 

 meadow will afford. Otherwise the feet must be stopped, and kept moist and 

 cool, as directed in case of Canker, at page 191. 



In all cases, (except where the foot is pumiced, or the sole is very thin), the 

 jointed shoe of B. Clark, or of H. Goldfinch (page 183), will be found ser- 

 viceable, as being well calculated for giving play or action to the parts of the 

 foot, which jiroduce the secretion that is so salutary to the renovation of new 

 hoof; but which the disorder we call "binding of the hoof" has sadly pervert- 

 ed into an offensive and harmful matter. 



The proper secretion of the juicy elastic substance, for the formation of new 

 hoof, being essential to the restoration of the horse, and as the lameness will 

 not wholly subside unless this process goes on healthily, resort must be had to 

 blistering, provided he still goes lame any. This should extend from the coro- 

 net and quarters to the knee, and be repeated, taking care to keep the heels 

 open and the sole stopped. The good effects to the sole that will be found to 

 result from blistering, shows the connexion or companionship that exists be- 

 tween the legs and feet, as I took occasion to observe at a former page. 



But, as to drawing the sole, as before recommended generally, there is one 

 exception : if the lameness and other symptoms come on after an inflammatory 

 fever of the whole system, then we ought to look upon it as an effect of the 

 fever seeking to throw off its dregs thus critically ; and a swelhng and dis- 

 charge at the coronet may be expected soon to take place that should be en- 

 couraged, and treated as simple abscess, not fistulous. When this is the case 

 the bar-shoe is better adapted to keep the parts in position, that the discharge 

 may proceed temperately. 



In default of sending the sick horse to a meadow, he may be allowed to 

 stand on a clay-made floor in an outhouse by day, or any slip of soft ground- 

 but by no means adopt the plan of putting the patient upon litter that is damp, 

 and is therefore half rotten and heating. A number of contriva))ces for af« 

 fording coolness and natural pressure to the sole and frog, besides the forego 

 kng, have been resorted to, and among these the admixture of vinegar, alegar, 

 verjuice, or solution of nitre with the clay, with the stopping, «fcc. are well 

 calculated to answer the purposes intended. Rubbing the knees with turpen- 

 tine is also serviceable. 



Physic would not of course be neglected at the earliest stages of lameness, 

 4<lapted to the previous state of the patient's bodily health, and calculated to 



