CURB. 339 



or fired, and which, in consequence, have become converted into 

 the callous substance before described — of which they are never 

 again hkely to go lame. 



A cilrb is reckoned of consequence only in so far as it interferes 

 with the action of the hock or makes it painful, and so far lames or 

 incapacitates the horse ; and it is the fact of there being hardly any 

 instance on record of permanent or incurable lameness from curb 

 that induces horse folks to attach so little importance to the dis- 

 ease. From past experience, they entertain a feeling of assurance 

 that, in the end, all will become right again. 



The Treatment of Curb, with a knowledge of the fact of its 

 universal curability ; or of its tendency, even untreated, and cer- 

 tainty, indeed, in the course of time, provided the horse be laid 

 up, to cure itself; — I repeat, with a conviction of all this, the treat- 

 ment may be said to be undertaken under the happiest auspices ; 

 indeed, to be undertakeable with tolerable prospects of success by 

 the mere dabbler even in veterinary medicine. Every groom — 

 every amateur veterinarian — can " cure a curb :" still, there is a 

 rational and scientific method of procedure in this, as in all other 

 cases, which we rarely see practised but in the hands of the regular 

 professional man. 



Knowing that repose, a state of quietude of the affected limb, is 

 most desirable, the horse is not to be turned loose into a box, but 

 to be kept confined in a stall ; and that the diseased parts, and 

 others connected with them, the tendons and ligaments, may 

 be thrown into a state of relaxation and ease, a most important aid 

 in treatment is a high-heeled shoe. This done, fomentation of the 

 curb with water as hot as the hand can be borne in it, is the best 

 assuasive to the part in pain, and the fomentation is rendered parti- 

 cularly effectual by the employment of the spongio-piline. One 

 piece may be temporarily confined around the hock while another 

 similar piece is soaking in the hot water, ready to succeed the first. 

 This succession constitutes most effective fomentation. A dose of 

 purgative medicine should be given, and it should be an extra- 

 strong one, remembering that the horse will not be able to be 

 moved about to work it off". If we could draw blood, locally, from 

 the part itself, the abstraction would greatly relieve the inflamma- 



