176 The Horse Farrier. 



Treatment. — Youatt says, bleeding is indispensable. 

 If the disease is confined to the fore-feet, four quarts of 

 blood should be taken as soon as possible from the toe of 

 each ; care being taken to open the artery as well as the 

 vein. The feet may likewise be put into warm water, to 

 quicken the flow of the blood, and increase the quantity 

 abstracted. Poultices of linseed meal, made very soft, 

 should cover the whole of the foot and pastern, and be 

 frequently renewed. The shoe should be removed, the 

 sole pared as thin as possible, and the crust, and particu- 

 larly the quarters, well rasped. This must be done 

 gently, and with a great deal of patience. Sedative and 

 :ooling medicines should be diligently administered, con- 

 sisting of digitalis, nitre, and emetic tartar. About 

 the third day a blister may be tried, taking in the whole 

 of the pastern and the coronet, and washed off the fol- 

 lowing day, and repeated several times. The horse 

 should be kept on mash diet, unless green meat can be 

 procured ; and that should not be given too liberally. 

 Linseed tea, and water acidulated with cream of tartar, 

 form the best drink for patients. When the season will 

 permit, two months' run at grass will be serviceable. 



CHRONIC FOUNDER. 



The principal difference between this and the acute 

 disease lies in the less activity of the attack and inflam- 

 matory fever, and the indefinite duration of the symp- 

 toms ; the lameness is not persistent, but goes off after 

 exercise, and returns again while the animal is at rest. 



The treatment should be similar to that recommended 

 for the acute disease — blood-letting, poultices, fomenta- 

 tions, and blisters, and the last much sooner and much 

 more frequently than in the former disease. 



CRAMP. 



This is a sudden, involuntary, and painful spasm of a 

 particular muscle. It occasionally attacks the muscles of 

 organic life, but in its most common form only affects the 

 hind extremities, where it is observed by the temporary 

 lameness and stiffness it produces, in the hardly worked 



