AND MALFORMATIONS OF THE FEET. 73 



crust from splitting at the point of the insertion of 

 the nail, a niche should be made for it with the 

 drawing knife. It will be desirable to give the 

 nail a bearing of about half an inch on each side of 

 the fissure. When, however, the sandcrack occurs 

 on the side, this treatment must not be attempted, 

 as the crust in that part is too thin to admit the 

 insertion of a nail with safety. 



The treatment of sandcrack, as regards shoeing, 

 will consist, if time and circumstances allow, in 

 removing the shoes altogether. When, however, 

 the horse cannot be spared from work, consider- 

 able relief from pressure and concussion will be 

 gained by " springing " the shoe under the line of 

 the crack. When the fissure is at the side a 

 three-quarter bar shoe may often be beneficially 

 applied. 



Sandcrack can always be got rid of, as long as 

 the coronary band remains entire, but if by 

 neglect the disease is allowed to involve the secret- 

 ing substance, false quarter or permanent sepa- 

 ration in the crust at the quarters may probably be 

 the result, 



71. When any part of the coronary band is in- False 



, , . . . jn, . . , , . quarter. 



volved m serious milammation, its ordinary secre- 

 tions are necessarily arrested. If the inflammation 

 is long continued, the portion of the band affected 

 becomes wholly disorganized, and its vitality is 



