INJURIES AND DISEASES OP THE FEET. 211 



press upon the heel, the kind of shoe depending upon the 

 extent of the injury and the structure of the foot. The 

 danger from a suppurating corn is in the matter burrowing its 

 way up to the coronet and forming a " quittor." 



Thrush. 



This is a diseased condition of the frog, accompanied by a 

 very offensive discharge from the cleft. It may be brought 

 about by standing in moisture, on foul litter, the absence of 

 pressure to and undue paring of the frog, etc. It is generally 

 an indication of bad hoof management. 



Treatment. Thrush does not often cause lameness, unless 

 there be much disease and sensitiveness of the frog ; and fre- 

 quent dressings with Stockholm tar or carbolic acid spread on 

 tow, which should be pushed into the cleft and crevices, will, 

 in most cases, effect a cure. If there is lameness, fomentations 

 and poultices (charcoal poultices) will be necessary. To prevent 

 thrush, as well as to cure it, the hoof should be kept as dry as 

 possible, the frogs unpared by the farrier, and pressure allowed 

 them by lowering the wall of the hoof as much as may be 

 necessary, and applying thin shoes. 



Canker. 



This is an advanced degree of "thrush," and is most fre- 

 quently seen in coarse-bred draught horses. It is entirely due 

 to bad stable or foot management, and is manifested by fungous 

 inflammation of the sensitive membrane of the frog and sole 

 chiefly of the hind feet. 



Treatment. This is a most intractable disease, and requires 

 much skill and patience, so that a cure should not be attempted 

 by an amateur. 



Laminitis or Inflammation of the Foot. 

 This inflammation of the foot, or laminitis, is chiefly con- 

 fined to the sensitive laminae, or leaves, which unite the hoof 

 wall to the parts within, and of these leaves those in front are 

 2 



