CONTRACTION.] MODERN VETERINARY PRACTICE. 



[uUOOGINfSf. 



latter case, a perfect euro nmy follow a ju- 

 dicious mode of treatiuout, and thercforo those 

 circuuistauces should not prevent us from try- 

 ing it. If the conUactiou has not been of long 

 duration, by proceeding slowly and carefully, 

 this object may bo obtained, and particularly if 

 the cause of the disease is ascertained, and if 

 there is every reason to believe that the inter- 

 nal parts are not materially alVccted. 



There have been invented, by many inge- 

 nious and clever veterinarians, a variety of me- 

 chanical contrivances to remove contraction of 

 the foot ; but few of them have been attended 

 with permanent success, though, iu some in- 

 stances, they have allbrded temporary relief; 

 but as soon as they were removed, the foot 

 contracted much faster than before. 



All these are now done away with, and a 

 more simple and effectual plan has been 

 adopted. This is by applying moisture, and 

 having more regard to shoeing. In extreme 

 cases the operation of neurotomy must be 

 performed. In cases of contraction, take 

 blood from the plate-veins — say two quarts 

 from each — and administer alterative medicines 

 every other day. (See Medicines). Apply 

 swabs, or woollen cloth, round the hoofs, as 

 directed iu the last article, always kept wet 

 with cold water; then direct the farrier to pare 

 out so much of the sole as will cause it to yield 

 to the pressure of the thumb. He must be 

 careful not to remove the bars, or any part of 

 them. The frog likewise must not be cut 

 away, except such ragged parts as may be 

 injurious. The heela may now be rasped 

 down, until they are as low as the crown of 

 the frog, if they will admit of it; if not, as 

 close as possibly can be done. This being 

 accomplished, place on an old thin shoe, witla 

 but one nail in the inside, so that it does not 

 press on the inner quarter. Remove all 

 bedding, excepting a little every other night, 

 as the more he stands, the quicker will be the 

 expansion. Give hini cooling diet, such as 

 half bran and oats, made tolerably wet ; carrots, 

 or clover, grass, «S:c., &c. Continue this treat- 

 ment for a week, and watch the progress of it ; 

 and, if he should not be particularly lame, let 

 him be exercised two hours, morning and 

 night. 



At the Royal Veterinary College, there is 

 an ingenious contrivance to apply moisture to 



the feet: the floor is t:ilten up where the 

 fore legs of the animal wuuld come, and the 

 earth is removed. The paving is then re- 

 l)laced, atul cemented, ho aa to bo water-ti"ht. 

 The hor.se is then led into this ftanding, where 

 ho renuiins a considerablo time, up to his 

 knees in water. The object of this is to applv 

 continual moisture, adding pressure at Ih'o 

 same time ; for the moisture must bo accom- 

 panicd with pressure, or the end will not bo 

 answered. It is with a view to this purpose 

 that we would order f(jur hours' exercise per 

 day in this disease. INIany persons are fund 

 of scoring the hoof at the quarter, with a Sue 

 drawing-knife, so that it may have a hinge- 

 like action ; but this is of no service without 

 the application of moisture, for the scorino's 

 become so dry, that they make the matter 

 worse than it was. 



Supposing every resource to have failed in 

 the successful treatment of this disease, we 

 must, at the last, have recourse to excising a 

 portion of the pastern nerve, which is termed 

 neurotomy. This is the only remedy in extreme 

 cases, which are then termed the navicular 

 disease. How to perform this operation we 

 will describe when we come to the subject of 

 Operations. 



GROGGINESS. 

 Groggy feet, by stablemen and grooms, for a 

 length of time, used to be considered an in- 

 flammation of the laminas; but, since the 

 anatomy of the horse's foot has become known, 

 it has been discovered to be an inflammatory 

 action going on in the articulating cartilages 

 and their membranes; also in the ligaments 

 connecting the large and small pastern bones 

 which have sometimes been corroded, and iu 

 such a state of disorganisation, as to tend to 

 a bony deposit, and eventually to anchylosis, 

 or stiff joint. "We know of no treatment 

 likely to relieve the parts but firing, and re- 

 peated blistering. In this complaint the horse 

 will go upon his toe, the joint immediate! v 

 within the hoof being stiff. Many workin<» 

 animals in London are affected with this 

 disease, the poor animals sometimes being so 

 excessively lame, as to excite the commisera- 

 tion of every one who sees them. Professor 

 Stewart, in his Stable Economi/, says, " that it is 

 common among all kinds of fast workers ; and 



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