FOOT-LA3iENESS. 945 



flammation, omit tligestive dressiug- uutil after it is reduced Uy 

 poulticing, when dress -with digestives. 



There is liable to be tenderness if the sole should strike the 

 oi-ound afterwards, as there may be inflammation of the perios- 

 teum, to relieve which, put on a high-heeled shoe, and blister 

 around the coronet. The sole is sometimes bruised by the shoe 

 pressing upon it, causing much inflammation and lameness. Take 

 off" the shoe, poultice for twenty-four houi-s or more ; fit the shoe 

 so as to remoA^e all pressure from the sole; if sore yet, continue 

 the poultice; if matter is formed, treat as you Avould any simple 

 ulcer, with a healing astringent. Several good preparations are 

 given in another part of this work. 



Foot-Lameness. * 



" Symptoms. — Horse goes gradually sore, walkuig tender 

 either behind or before. As a rule comes in one foot ; if in the 

 liind foot, tries to put the heel down first. Kot much fever in the 

 feet. Xo apparent cause, hard to locate the trouble. The onh- 

 diagnosis is by tapping the wall of the foot which will give a 

 holloAV sound. It is all due to want of cell-groAvth or nutrition of 

 honi-cells which will cause the wall or hoof to separate from the 

 true foot. At the start the horse may travel sore or tender, grow- 

 ing worse graduall}- for two or three months ; finally the horse be- 

 comes very lame. There is no fever; no pain by pressure or 

 hammering. The only point noticeable is by the hollow sound of 

 the wall when hammered upon. 



•By examining the sole of the foot at the point where the sole 

 and wall are united, by pricking there Avith a probe a granulating 

 substance Avill be found — little dry fibers of horn, Avhieh are the 

 dead horn-cells. These can be found and pricked clear up to the 

 coronary band, Avithout causing any feeling to the horse. 



• Treatment. — Clean out the foot properly, and pour nitric 

 acid into the crevice made until all the dead part is cleaned out. 

 Then put on a plain shoe so as to protect the sole and wall ; fill out 

 the bottom Avith oakum and hot tar; next fire all around the coro- 

 nary band, the same as for ring-bone, and apply a shai-p blister, 

 and allow the horse to stand five or six Aveeks. If by the third 

 Aveek there is no sign of healthy horn, the blister may again be 

 applied. But there is usually after three or four Aveeks a good 

 noticeable growth of healthy horn. 



•'• After this, but little more can be done than to exercise the 

 horse moderately, until the new growth of horn-structui-e has 

 grown down." 



♦Dictated by Dr. Charles A. Meyer. 60 



