482 TOE SANDCRACK. 



second. A bar-shoe, from its taking the bearing off the quarters 

 and placing il upon the frog, will in a measure give facility to 

 what we now are desirous of promoting, viz., the expansion of 

 the heels of the foot ; but a tip — providing it can be worn, 

 which it frequently may with great advantage after a bar-shoe — 

 will bring about greater reform still; — will, in fact, by persist-. 

 ence in its use, bring about in time that improved form of hoof 

 which will be no more liable to sandcrack. 



The Treatment of Toe Sandcrack is in some respects 

 a different affair from that of quarter sandcrack. This disease is 

 not only different in its relative situation as regards other parts 

 of the foot, but it arises, as we have seen, from a totally different 

 causation. When once it has occurred, it becomes, compared 

 with the other, a serious affair. The horse is lame, too lame to 

 continue his work probably; and we have a penetrant crack to 

 deal with, extending all or nearly all the way from the coronet 

 to the toe ; discharging blood, or perhaps matter of some 

 ichorous offensive description, plainly calling upon us for, not 

 simply binding up, &c., as in the former case, but for 



Opening and cheansing and dressing. The shoe 

 being taken off, let the crack be pared out and freed from all 

 horny rags and asperities, and laid completely open to view, so 

 that the bottom can be inspected and dressed with whatever may 

 be deemed requisite. In fact, when once the fissure is dilated 

 into a clean and open channel by the operation of the drawing 

 knife, warm baths or poultices, or dressings of any kind, according 

 as may become necessary, are applicable ; the case being in 

 this stage no more than one of dilated sinus of the foot, similar 

 to what might in another situation be called quittor. As with 

 quarter sandcrack, the cure will, of course, be tedious in its 

 duration, since we know that all complete repair can come 

 only from the coronet. The sensitive laminae having the 

 power of secreting horny laminae, may, as in the quarter crack, 

 issue a sort of horny covering-in of the bottom of the fissure ; 

 but still the fissure will remain so long as an integral formation 

 of horn does not grow down from the source of secretion. 



Whenever the Horse is in a Condition for Work 



