THE FOUL IN THE FOOT. 123 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



THE FOUL IN THE FOOT 



This is also a troublesome and obstinate disease. It consists of 

 nlcers of the foot, usually about the coronet, running under the horn, 

 and causing more or less separation of it, with intense pain and lame- 

 ness. It is produced by cattle being pastured too long on wet and 

 poachy land, or their being driven too far over a hard and flinty road. 

 It generally first appears between the claws in the form of a crack, 

 extending from the coronet down the foot, with considerable inflam- 

 mation, and the discharge of a stinking matter or pus. At other times 

 a little swelling appears on the coronet between the hair and hoof, 

 which breaks, and likewise discharges much stinking matter; and. 

 on being examined with a probe, a sinus or pipe will be discovered 

 descending from the coronet down the foot and under the horn. The 

 pain is often so great that the animal altogether refuses his food, and 

 becomes as thin as a skeleton. The being pricked in shoeing is not 

 an unfrequent cause of foul in the foot, especially if the ox be hardly 

 worked afterwards, or turned on damp and boggy grounds. It very 

 much resembles quitter in the horse, and must be treated in the same 

 way. 



The first thing to be done is to examine the wound carefully, and 

 see how far it extends under the horn. If there is little or no under - 

 running, the case may be easily and successfully treated. The country 

 practice is to clean the part carefully, and then take a small cart-rope, 

 or a pair of cow-hopples, and chafe them backward and forward be- 

 tween the claws for four or five minutes, and afterwards to dress the 

 sore with a little butyr of antimony, and turn the beast into a dry 

 pasture. 



I should object to this, that it seems to be a very rough and cruel 

 way of going to w^ork. All that is necessary is, after cleaning the 

 part well, to cut away all loose or separated horn, and all proud flesh, 

 and then lightly apply the butyr to the sore. There will not be much 

 difficulty in effecting a cure if the case is taken in time, and the sore 

 Kept dry while under treatment. 



Should, however, the pasterns swell, and be hot and tender, as 

 they will do if the case has been neglected, or any gravel has in- 

 sinuated itself between the horn and the foot, the w ound must be 

 more carefully examined, every sinus must be laid open to the very 

 bottom, and cleansed, and touched with the caustic. A poultice of 

 linseed meal should then be applied, and changed morning and night 

 until the swelling and inflammation have subsided, when the caustic 

 may be again employed, but not more severely than the case seems 

 to require. It is the frequent light application of the butyr, and nd 



