DISEASES OF THE FEET. 113 



TREATMENT. 



The corrosive liniment will remove all traces of stone- 

 bruise and similar injuries, and heal the sore and wounded 

 parta. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE FEET, OR FOUNDER. 



Certain attacks of inflammation, which frequently make 

 their appearance in the horse's feet, have received the name 

 of founder, but for what reason it would be extremely diffi- 

 cult to say, since there is not the least apparent connection 

 between the term and that to which it is applied. 



The common theory among farmers is, that the horse be- 

 comes foundered from over-eating, or from drinking too much 

 water, tlie founder descending suddenly to the feet. The 

 disease is known by a variety of names in different sections 

 of the. country; for instance, water-founder, corn-founder, 

 grass-founder, and others. As to a cure, these persons im- 

 agine that the great object \is attained if the founder can be 

 restricted, and kept from settling down to the extremities of 

 the limbs. 



In reality, however, the founder is not only in the feet al- 

 ready, but has probably been established there for days, or, 

 perhaps, even for weeks. The sensible portion of the foot 

 within the hoof, and the bones in the immediate vicinity — 

 the coffin, pastern, and shuttle bones — are filled with little 

 blood-vessels, which supply these parts with niaterials for 

 their nutrition. The inflammation to which this region is 

 subject is unusually acute in the case of founder, and is liable 

 to be developed very suddenly. 



The real cause of founder, then, is the previously-diseased 

 condition of the feet, which the horse's excessive eating and 

 drinking does no more than to aggravate and bring into 

 powerful action. As in all inflammation, swelling attends 

 the fever and soreness, and the parts within the hoof become 

 so painful that the horse can hardly bear to step at all. In- 

 flammation is next communicated to the hoof itself. It is 

 8 



