1 24 Management and Treatment of the Horse. 



of the navicular disease frequently appear. My 

 remedies," said the Professor, ^^in these cases 

 consist in taking very much the same measure 

 as I adopt for the prevention or rather the maiD- 

 tenance of healthy action regardless of any par- 

 ticular disease. I remove causes, /.£?., in the first 

 place the shoes, and withdraw all ascertainable 

 causes of pain as soon as possible ; rest and some 

 fomentation to the feet are amongst the most 

 effective means. Continued rest in a loose box 

 for two or three weeks may be necessary, during 

 which time the feet will acquire form and strength 

 from the treatment I carry out, viz., no softening 

 application after the first two or three days, when 

 circulation of the blood will have found its equi- 

 librium over the foot, after which cleanliness and 

 care, and abstaining from debilitating the hoof is 

 observed. But we may say this is not surgery ; 

 would you not blister, bleed, insert setons, and if 

 lameness continued persistent unnerve the horse ? 

 I shake my head and say — No. It is not pre- 

 tended that I can cure all cases submitted to me 

 of the character under notice. Then what is to 

 be done with the incurables ? are they not to be 

 submitted to the ordinary routine of successive 

 operations ? I can hardly be made to reply ; and 

 for the following reasons. I saw so much of what 

 is called the surgery of these cases in my early 

 days, such torture, butchery, and sacrifice of pro- 

 perty, that I tried what I believed then the most 

 rational mode of procedure, and have been re- 

 warded with great success. The few cases of 

 protracted and advanced disease, which after due 



