INJURIES CONNECTED WITH SHOEING, ETC. 325 



several of them were observed to be very lame ; and ou ex- 

 amining the feet it was found that matter was confined under 

 the sole. All the horny sole, which had separated, and by 

 which the matter was confined, was completely removed, a 

 hollow shoe applied, and the whole of the bottom of the foot 

 covered with digestive ointment ; when they all got well in a 

 short time. From this we may learn that when a horse is 

 turned to grass without shoes, his feet should be pared with 

 caution ; perhaps it would be the safest plan, merely to rasp the 

 bottom of the foot to a level surface, and leave the sole un- 

 touched. It must be recollected, however, that in certain cases 

 of lameness, thinning the sole, previously to the horse's being 

 turned to grass, is recommended as a remedy. 



Case 2. A horse that had been at Gjrass some time was ob- 

 served to be lame ; he was taken up and examined by the smith, 

 who could not find anything to account for the lameness, and, 

 therefore concluded that it must be in the shoulder. On ex- 

 aminino- the foot, I found a little moistui'c oozino; from a small 

 fissure in the coronet ; and, on finding the horse flinch, when 

 struck on the bottom of the foot, towards the inside heel, I pared 

 away the horn from that part with a drawing-knife, and let out 

 some dark-coloui'cd fluid. A separation between the sensible 

 and horny sole had taken place to a considerable extent. All 

 the horny sole that had been detached was carefully removed, 

 and a dressing applied of digestive ointment. The fissure in 

 the coronet was dressed, at first, with a solution of blue vitriol, 

 afterwards with Friar's balsam. By this treatment the horse 

 soon became perfectly sound. 



Case 3. A horse had been fired for a lameness in the fetlock 

 joint of one hind leg, and turned loose into a large box : about 

 three or four weeks after, he was observed to be lame in the 

 other hind leg ; the smith was called in to take off the shoe, and 

 examine the foot ; nothing was found to explain the lameness in 

 the foot or in any other part of the limb, except that the horse 

 generally stood with the fetlock joint bent, resting chiefly on his 

 toe. This was supposed to arise from some injury of the fetlock 

 joint, as the position in which he stood tended to favour the liga- 

 ments of that part ; at the same time it was observed, that there 

 was neither increased heat, swelling, nor tenderness of that joint. 

 It was supposed, however, that the lameness was similar to that 

 in the other leg ; and, as firing had proved effectual in that case, 

 it was thought proper to have recourse to it in this also. I was 

 sent for to perform the operation; and, on my arrival, being 

 informed that the foot, as well as every other part, had been 

 already carefully examined, we proceeded immediately to the 

 operation. The hoi'se had been fired on the outside of the joint, 

 and turned over, that the inside might be fired also. At this 



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