74 



which is hirge, spongy, and covered by pallid, stringy promi- 

 nences of a fungoid nature, intermixed with offensive smelling, 

 semidried, cheesy masses of matter. 



It usually commences in the frog and rapidly extends to the 

 sole, and even the sensitive laminae. 



Treatment.— Remove all pieces of sole or frog covering the dis- 

 eased parts, and with a red-hot iron destroy all unnatural growth; 

 cleanse thoroughly with hot or warm water and then apply the 

 following: Equal parts of sulphate of iron, sulphate of zinc, and 

 sulphate of copper. Pack the foot with oakum and place it in a 

 boot, as pressure is necessary; change the dressings twice a day 

 and destroy all unnatural growths, if any, by the red-hot iron or 

 lunar caustic. 



PUNCTURE OF THE FROG AND SOLE. 



Puncture of the frog and sole is usually the result of a horse 

 stepping on a nail, and, if the nail penetrates into the sensitive 

 structures of the foot, inflammation and lameness will follow; 

 and unless the wound is well opened, so as to allow a thorough 

 cleansing and the application of a 4 per cent solution of creolin 

 or a 5 per cent solution of carbolic acid, pus will form. Unless 

 the pus has a good outlet it will burrow into the surrounding tis- 

 sues and terminate in canker. Another reason for opening a 

 wound is that the germs of tetanus (lockjaw) are present around 

 stables: the nail carries with it a certain amount of dirt, and if 

 this dirt is impregnated with those germs, and is deposited in the 

 deep tissues and left there undisturbed, lockjaw is very apt to 

 develop. 



Pricks in shoeing are of two kinds, namely, those actually pene- 

 trating the sensitive jmrts, and those w^here the nail, not actually 

 penetrating the sensitive structures, is driven so near as to cause 

 bulging of the inner layer of horn and pressure upon the sensi- 

 tive interior, leading to inflammation and great lameness, with 

 or without suppuration. 



To detect punctured wounds of the feet it is necessary to remove 

 the shoe from the foot affected, then to examine all around the 

 margin of the sole by pressing it and the crust with the pincers; 

 when the seat of the injury is pressed the horse will generally 

 evince pain. 



