DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND EARS. 225 



pastern joints, and that most fruitful source of mischief in 

 the horse's limbs, hoof rot. 



All these direful evils that wait upon the horse are stimu- 

 lated, and, in fact, often brought into existence, by both local 

 influences and constitutional tendencies. Under the first 

 head, we include exposure, insufficient or unwholesome food, ^. 

 irregular feeding, hard usage, improper stable management, 0; 

 and a foul atmosphere; under the other, a feeble state of 

 health, impurity of the blood, the presence of fever, and the '^ 

 like. Several of these causes, acting together, can not fail 

 to bring on one or more of these diseases with great celerity. 

 Two of them, indeed, are often enough to do the mischief 

 most efiectually. 



When the disease takes on the form of swelled legs, local 

 inflammation is excited in the cellular membrane. The crack- 

 ing open of the skin is but Nature's mode of discharging the 

 accumulations of diseased water beneath, which ooze out and 

 run down the leg. 



The foregoing we believe to be a fair history of this affec- 

 tion and its many kindred ones. 



TREATMENT. 



Nothing can be expected but that the case will prove ob- 

 stinate, and the improvement very gradual. At the begin- 

 ning of the treatment, take three quarts of blood from the 

 neck. vein. Apply the corrosive liniment with a little mop^jr 

 in the same manner as directed for cracked heels; but this' 

 may be done every morning, without any intermission, until 

 the swelling has entirely abated. Give daily a quarter of a 

 pound of sulphur and two ounces of -resin, both finely pul- 

 verized, for three or four days. Put this in some meal or 

 bran, and if the horse does not eat it, let him have no other 

 food until he does. 



His diet should be light and moist, pasture being preferable. 

 Let him have rest, and a good, clean, dry stable, that he may 

 make the most of it. Keep him out of the wet, especially 

 while doctoring him. 

 15 



