DISEASES OF THE FOOT. %Tf 



on their heels, or balancing himself on the hind, lifts both fore 

 feet at once and brings them down again on their heels. The 

 affected feet are warm, even hot, and the animal refuses to have 

 them lifted because of the pain consequent on standing on one. 

 If they are struck with a hammer the animal winces and groans. 

 The arteries on the pasterns throb violently. The hairs of the 

 mane and tail may often be pulled from their follicles, showing 

 ^he general implication of the skin. 



If one fore foot only is affected it is kept raised and advanced. 

 If the hind feet, they are advanced beneath the belly, and the 

 fore feet carried as far backward as possible to bear the greater 

 part of the weight, 



Treahnent. — In the initial stage, with general stiffness but no 

 special tenderness of the feet over other parts, vascular and 

 nervous tension may be relieved and the disease suddenly cut 

 short by full doses of sedatives (lobelia, tobacco, aconite), with 

 warm clothing to encourage perspiration. Even at a more 

 advanced stage, when the feet are becoming congested and 

 tender, the same may be resorted to, the feet being enveloped 

 in warm poultices, and the animal encouraged to lie down by 

 supplying a clean comfortable bed of straw. Or in place of 

 poulticing the feet, we may seek to improve the circulation by 

 walking without shoes on a soft newly-ploughed field, the heels 

 having been slightly lowered, if very high, to allow pressure on 

 the sole, or the patient may even be walked on a hard surface 

 after a long bar shoe with broad web and a slight rising at heel 

 and toe (rocker fashion) has been applied. But walking can 

 never be resorted to when the extreme tenderness and fever 

 show that active inflammation has set in. In this case a mild 

 laxative (aloes) must be given (unless already purging) and 

 followed up by aconite or other sedatives, the feet must be 

 enveloped in large poultices and the animal encouraged to lie 

 down. Should he refuse to lie down the hoof-wall should be 

 rasped down to let the sole come in contact with the ground. 



