392 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



vable. An ointment should be applied, to supple, cool, and 

 heal the part. When cracks appear the mode of treatment 

 will depend on their extent and depth. If the cracks are 

 deep, with an ichorous discharge and considerable lameness, 

 it will be necessary to poultice the heel. A poultice of lin- 

 seed meal will be generally effective, unless the discharge is 

 thin and offensive, when an ounce of finely-powdered char- 

 coal should be mixed with the linseed meal; or a poultice of 

 carrots, boiled soft and^ mashed. After the chaps or cracks 

 have healed, the legs will sometimes continue gorged and 

 swelled. A flannel bandage, evenly applied over the whole 

 of the swelled part, will be very serviceable ; or, should the 

 season admit of it, a run at grass, particularly spring grass, 

 should be allowed. 



The feeding should likewise vary with the case, but 

 with these rules, which admit of no exception, that green 

 meat should be given, and more especially carrots, when 

 they are not too expensive, and mashes, if the horse will eat 

 them, and never the full allowance of grain. 



Walking exercise should be resorted to as soon as the 

 horse is able to bear it, and this by degrees may be increased 

 to a gentle trot. 



From bad stable management at first, and neglect during 

 the disease, a yet worse kind of grease occasionally appears. 

 The ulceration extends over the skin of the heel and the 

 fetlock, and a fungus springs from the surface of both, highly 

 sensible, bleeding at the slightest touch, and interspersed 

 with scabs. By degrees portions of the fungus begin to be 

 covered with a horny substance, protruding in the form of 

 knobs, and collected together in bunches. These are known 

 by the name of grapes. A foetid and very peculiar exhuda- 

 dation proceeds from nearly the whole of the unnatural 

 substance. The horse evidently suffers much, and is gradu- 

 ally worn down by the discharge. The assistance of a 

 veterinary surgeon is here indispensible. 



Some horses are more subject to grease than others, par- 

 ticularly draught-horses, hoth heavy and light, but particu- 

 larly the former, and if they have no degree of blood in them. 

 It was the experience of this which partly contributed to the 

 gradual change of coach and other draught-horses to those 

 of a lighter breed. In the great majority of cases, grease 

 arises from mismanagement and neglect. 



Everything that has a tendency to excite inflammation in 

 the skin of the heel is a cause of grease. Therefore want 



