308 THE HORSE. 



copious and moi*e offensive — the horn gradually disappears — a mass of 

 hardened mucus usurps its place — this easily peels off, and the sensible 

 frog remains exposed — the horse cannot bear it to be touched — fungous 

 granulations spring from it — they spread around — the sole becomes under- 

 run, and canker steals over the greater part of the foot. 



There are few errors more common or more dangerous, than that the 

 existence of thrush is a matter of little consequence, or even, as some 

 suppose, a benefit to the horse, — a discharge for superabundant humours, — 

 and that it should not be dried up too quickly, and in some cases not 

 dried up at all. If a young colt, fat and full of blood, has a bad thrush, 

 with much discharge, it may be prudent to accompany the attempt at cure 

 by a dose of physic or a course of diuretics ; a few diuretics may not be 

 injurious when we are endeavouring to dry up thrush in older horses : but 

 disease can scarcely be attacked too soon or subdued too rapidly, and 

 especially a disease which steals on so insidiously, and has such fatal con- 

 sequences in its train. If the heels once begin to contract through the 

 baneful effect of thrush, it will with difficulty, or not at all, be afterwards 

 removed. 



There are many recipes to stop a running thrush. Almost every appli- 

 cation of an astringent but not too caustic nature will have the effect. 

 The common ^gyptiacum (vinegar boiled with honey and verdigrease) 

 is a very good liniment ; but the most effectual and the safest, dry- 

 ing up the discharge speedily, but not suddenly, is a paste composed of 

 two ounces of blue and one of white vitriol powdered as finely as pos- 

 sible, and rubbed down with one pound of tar and two of lard. A pledget 

 of tow covered with it should be introduced as deeply as^possible, yet with- 

 out force, into the cleft of the frog every night, and removed in the morn- 

 ing before the horse goes to work. Attention should at the same time, as 

 in other diseases of the foot, be paid to the apparent cause of the complaint, 

 and that cause should be carefully obviated or removed. Before the appli- 

 cation of the paste, the frog should be examined, and every loose part of 

 the horn or hardened discharge removed ; and if much of the frog be then 

 exposed, a larger and wider piece of tow covered with the paste may be 

 placed over it, in addition to the pledget introduced into the cleft of the 

 frog. It will be necessary to preserve the frog moist while the cure is in 

 progress, and this may be done by filling the feet with tow covered by 

 common stopping, or using the felt pad, likewise covered with it. Turn- 

 ing out would be prejudicial rather than of benefit to thrushy feet, except 

 the dressing be continued, and the feet defended from moisture. 



CANKER 



Is a separation of the horn from the sensible part of the foot, and the 

 sprouting of fungous matter instead of it, and occupying a portion of, or 

 even the whole of the sole and frog. It is the occasional consequence of 

 bruise, puncture, corn, quittor, and thrush, and is extremely difficult to 

 cure. It is more frequently the consequence of neglected thrush than of any 

 other disease of the foot. It is oftenest found in, and is almost peculiar 

 to the heavy breed of cart horse, resulting partly from constitutional pre- 

 disposition. Horses with white legs and thick skins, and much hair upon 

 their legs, — the very character of many of our dray horses, — are subject 

 to canker, especially if they have had an attack of grease, or their heels 

 are habitually thick and greasy. The disposition to canker is certainly 

 hereditary. The dray horse likewise has this disadvantage, that in order 

 to give him foot-hold, it is necessary to raise the heels of the hinder feet so 



