CHAPTER XVIII. 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 



General Causes. Maxims for shoeing. Disease of the bony pulley and 

 flexor tendon of the foot. Pedal Sesamoiditis. Podotrochilitis. Navicular 

 disease. Coffin-joint lameness. Side-bones. Fractures of the bones of the 

 foot. Inflammation of the foot. Laminitis. Founder. Chronic Laminitis, 

 Convex soles. Pumice foot. Cracks in the hoof-wall. Sand-crack. Quarter- 

 crack. False quarter. Horny tumour of the Laminae. Corns. Bruises of the 

 sole. Pricks and binding with nails. Incised wound of the sole. Distortions 

 of the coffin-bone. Contraction. Treads on the coronet. Fistula of the 

 coronet. Quittor. Powdery degeneration of the deep parts of the wall. 

 Seedy toe. Inflammation of the secreting membrane of the frog with dis- 

 charge. Thrush. Canker. Simple foot-rot in cattle and sheep. Contagious 

 foot-rot. Foot-rot from Tuberculosis. 



Nearly all of these pedal diseases are directly or indirectly 

 the result of faults in shoeing, and the absence of care for the 

 feet. Here, accordingly, it would be appropriate to describe 

 the structure and functions of the foot, and to lay down the 

 rational principles of shoeing. But our space forbids more 

 than the merest mention of points which are absolutely indis- 

 pensable to the understanding of what is to follow. 



The internal framework, or skeleton of the horse's foot, 

 consists of three bones : — The lower end of the coronet (small 

 pastern) bone, which corresponds to the upper margin of the 

 boof: the coffin (pedal) bone, which is imbedded inside the 

 hoof, and has a similar imperfectly conical outline ; and a long 

 narrow pulley-like bone (small sesamoid, or navicular) extended 

 across the back part of the coffin-bone, its upper aspect forming 

 a prolongation backward of the joint surface. \\K.\c its lower 



