514 GREASE. 



green meat could not be got, experienced great benefit from 

 spearing the corn, particularly where the horse was low in 

 flesh or poor in condition. Any change of food, almost, is 

 proper ; at least, any not manifestly injudicious. The best 

 effects have been known to follow the substituting of beans 

 for oats, and this in a horse not particularly emaciated. 

 Before w^e quit the subject it may not be improper again to 

 remark, that this species of grease is frequently the result 

 of blisters injudiciously applied when the legs are in a state 

 of swelling and debility. 



Confirmed Grease.- — This is to be considered only as a 

 more aggravated stage or state of the former ; in which the 

 matter issuing has the foetid peculiar smell, that strongly 

 characterises the disease ; so powerful is this, a person 

 can at once recognise whether a greasy horse be in a stable 

 or not. The inflammation, that was before principally con- 

 fined to the sebaceous glandular structure, now affects the 

 integuments generally, producing extensive ulceration, with 

 intermediate dry hardened scabs : the hair stands erect ; 

 the whole surface becomes exquisitely sensible and vascular, 

 bleeding on the slightest touch ; and the vessels of the heels 

 not only secrete a peculiar fluid, but some of them take 

 on a singular action, and form a semi-corneous substance ; 

 so that, in the advanced stages and violent degrees of this 

 complaint, hardened horny knobs form over the fetlock, 

 intermixed with others more vascular, uniting the proper- 

 ties of pus, mucus, and oil : these protuberant portions are 

 called grapes, from their figure. The constitution usually 

 sympathises much with this extreme state of grease, and 

 the horse, unless very well fed, becomes weak, lean, and 

 irritable. 



Treatment. — It becomes a question, whether, in a case of 

 confirmed grease, even if it were in our power, it would be 

 prudent to stop the discharge at once ; for when secreting 

 vessels have been long habituated to any action, they can 

 seldom be suddenly checked with impunity. But it is to 

 be first remembered, that the diseased exudation cannot 

 be a natural one ; therefore, the heels should be subjected 

 to a treatment that may produce a more healthy secretion. 

 The best means for effecting this is the poultice composed 

 of charcoal, yeast, bran, and barley meal. This should be 



