292 DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 



legs. Should the ulceration not have penetrated through 

 the skin, little more will be required than bran poultices : 

 dressings of a* mild and simple kind^ as astringent powder, 

 weak solutions of blue vitriol, alum, tincture of myrrh, or 

 benzoin, &c., will aid the healing process ; but the principal 

 thing to be attended to is continued pouUiciiig . An excellent 

 dressing for weakly sores, is a sprinkling of pulverized red 

 precipitate. Where an ulceration has made its way through 

 the skin it is likely to be an intractable affair. The 

 borders of the • skin appear red, and perhaps, everted ; 

 while the bottom of the crack is sloughy, and exudes an 

 ichorous discharge. This carbuncular sore will require 

 sloughing out : for which purpose some practitioners make 

 use of lunar caustic, others of the actual cautery; though 

 I prefer the butter of antimony ; or, should that not suc- 

 ceed, the nitric acid. The object is to destroy the cellular 

 substance, and produce an entire new surface to the ulcer. 

 The caustic dressing is best dusted on with a little tow ; 

 previously to its application, the surface of the sore should 

 be wiped dry; but not made to bleed. Afterwards, let 

 the heel be enveloped in a bran poultice. This should 

 be persisted in until the ulcer is nearly healed : the gra- 

 nulations being stimulated with dry tow alone, which often 

 answers the purpose better than any medicament. The 

 French cauterize sores of this description : using the bud- 

 ding iron lightly or heavily, and at a low or a high tem- 

 perature, according to the effect desired to be produced. 

 Hurtrel d^Arboval's mode is to sprinkle the surface of the 

 sore with gunpowder, and then set light to it. What 

 tends very much to retard the healing of these sores, is 

 the motion of the pastern ; and as exercise is, otherwise, 

 very beneficial — indeed the legs would not endure abso- 

 lute rest — it is difficult to steer between these evils. What 

 will very much tend to diminish the effects of the exten- 

 sion, is the wearing of a very high-heeled shoe ; providing 

 due attention be paid, while it remains on, to the condition 

 of the frog. 



I have of late found great benefit from turning the horse 



