DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 335 



A mixture of corrosive sublimate, blue vitriol, and prepared 

 chalk, has done good ; also a solution of sublimate in tincture 

 of myrrh, or spirit of wine.* At every time of dressino-, the 

 spongy surface should be scraped off; and, if any horn remain 

 of the sole and bars, it should be carefully examined in order to 

 discover whether the disease is creeping under it or not ; if there 

 is even a suspicion of its being so, the horn must be completely 

 removed, and the diseased part dressed. If, upon a careful 

 examination with a probe, the coffin bone be found carious, it 

 must be freely scraped with a drawing-knife, and whatever part 

 there may be in the way so as to impede this operation, must 

 be removed. Sometimes the disease spreads under the wall 

 or crust, and then generally affects the coffin bone. In this 

 direction also it must be scrupulously followed with the drawing- 

 knife. It often happens after a great deal of time and labour 

 has been bestowed on this disease, that the practitioner is un- 

 expectedly defeated by suffering the disease to creep gradually 

 under the horn of the bars, sole, or crust. In the case I have 

 now under my care, in which all four feet are cankerous, I have 

 told the farrier who attends, that unless he dresses the feet daily, 

 and observes carefully the directions I have given with regard 

 to paring the feet previously to every dressing, whatever time it 

 may require, his labour will certainly be in vain, and he may as 

 well do nothing.! 



It is not unlikely that canker, when of long standing, is, In 

 some degree, a constitutional disease ; and, in this case, it may 

 be useful to turn the horse into a dry field or paddock, or, at 

 all events, to keep him on green food. 



[It must be acknowledged that there are some cases of so lono* 

 a standing and so inveterate, that the cure is altogether hopeless, 

 and should not be attempted unless the horse is very valuable. 

 - Ed.] 



Laminitis, or Founder 



" Is, as its name implies, an inflammation of the sensible 

 lamina? of the foot, as well as the elastic and very vascular 

 substance that connects them with the horny laminte and the 

 coffin bone. It is a disease, compared with other lesions of the 

 foot, of somewhat rare occurrence ; but it most frequently 

 attacks horses whose crust and lamina? are weak, and very 

 obliquely placed. We meet with two varieties of laminitis, the 

 acute and the chronic or sub-acute. 



" The Symptoms of this disease are a quick and generally a 

 full pulse, accelerated respiration, the feet and coronets hot, and 



* Quicklime and chloride of lime have been used with advantage. — Ed. 

 f This horse is now sufficiently recovered to return to his work. 



