338 



DISEASES OP THE HORSE. 



of extensive blood-letting; but in the former, disorganisation 

 has probably commenced before Ave are called upon to combat 

 the evil. 



" The symptoms, I have said, are obscure : there is lameness, 

 but it is by no means severe at first, and not sufficient to induce 

 the animal to prefer the recumbent posture much more than 

 usual ; he can generally relieve himself sufficiently by making 

 greater use of his heels. The crust feels warm, and this warmth 

 is constant, but it is often not palpably greater than in a state of 

 health. The surest symptom to direct our judgment is the 

 action of the animal : it is diametrically opposite to that in the 

 navicular disease. He throws as much of his weight as he can 

 on the posterior parts of the foot, his object being to relieve the 

 front portion as much as possible. 



" The treatment must be very similar to that we have recom- 

 mended for the acute disease, namely, blood-letting, cataplasm?, 

 fomentation, and blisters ; but it is necessary to resort much 

 sooner to the last-mentioned prophylactic, repeating it frequently 

 with short intervals." — Spooncr on the Foot, Sfc. 



Pumiced feet are often the eflfect of the previous disease ; the 

 lamina? give way and the sole becomes convex. This, howevei', 

 may be produced naturally, or from the weakness of the horn 

 and the weight of the animal. A cure cannot be obtained, but 

 the case may be greatly palliated by bar shoes carefully seated 

 out and the application of tar ointment to the feet. — Ed.] 



Chronic Lameness, Contracted Heels. 



This is one of the most common and destructive disorders to 

 which the horse is liable, and may almost be said to be peculiar to 

 this country. According to M. Jauze, the number of foundered 



A healthy Foot in an unpared state. A contracted Foot, 



a a the frog, b h the bars, ccc the sole, d d 

 the seat of corns. 



horses in this country, compared to those of France, is as ten to 

 one ; and this he attributes to our mode of shoeing. I believe 

 he is perfectly right as to the proportion of foundered horses 



