86 AMERICAN FARMER'S HORSE BOOK. 



so in greater degree than this. There is an intimate sympa- 

 thy between the shoulders and the feet, and the diseased con- 

 dition of the latter has unquestionably much to do with 

 aggravating the symptoms in the former. The hoof rot, es- 

 pecially, is a most frequent adjunct of swinney, and requires 

 direct treatment, as prescribed elsewhere. It will be exceed- 

 ingly difficult to reduce the inflammation in the shoulder 

 while the feet are diseased, and a permanent cure, under these 

 conditions, may be pronounced impossible. 



In the first stages, energetic treatment will be likely to re- 

 store a young and vigorous horse to perfect soundness; but 

 the old or feeble can hardly be expected to entirely outgrow 

 the effects of the disease. In the second stage, not much 

 can be done in any case. The patient may be patched up, 

 so as to serve for moderate labor a short time longer; but he 

 will always be weak, sadly disfigured, and in an emergency 

 utterly unreliable. 



TREATMENT. 



Whatever treatment is adopted, it is obvious that it should 

 have for its object active and powerful counter-irritation. 

 The prevailing inflammation must be brought to the surface. 

 This the corrosive liniment will eflectually do. It should be 

 used daily for two or three days, being apphed to the af- 

 fected parts and thoroughly dried in with a hot iron, 

 in the 'same manner as directed for big head and spavin 

 Let it be omitted for two or. three days, and then employed 

 again. This treatment must be kept up as long as may be 

 necessary to eflect a cure, which will generally be from two 

 to four* weeks. In order to loosen the skin, it should be 

 rubbed and pulled with the hand every mormng. This 

 ought still to be practiced occasionally, and the parts kept 

 well greased, after the liniment has been dispensed with. 



In most cases, it will be found beneficial to bleed once 

 taking from the neck-vein from two quarts to a gallon of 

 blood, according to the symptoms. This will tend to pre 

 vent the local fever from extending to the general system. 



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