CHAPTER II. 



DISEASES OF THE FEET 



Geiie)-al 7'C marks on the Anatomy of the Foot. Laminitis ; Acute ^ Sub-acute^ 

 and Chronic. Navicular Disease. Sand Ci'ack. Canker. Thrush. 

 False Quarter. Corns. .Seedy Toe. Quit tor. Tread. Over-reach. 

 Vitlitis, or Ijiflanunation of the Coronaiy Ba?id. Carbuncle of the 

 Coro?ta?y Band. Horn Tumours. Pi'icks and Injuries of the Foot, 

 Side Bone. Rinfj^ Bone. 



ANATOMY OF THE FOOT. 



Before commencing our account of the numerous and important diseases 

 of the horse's foot, it is our intention to give our readers some account of the 

 structures contained within the hoof, and then to describe veiy shortly the 

 horny covering itself. 



It is quite impossible for anyone to ha\'e accurate views regarding the 

 nature and treatment of the various diseases of the feet of the horse, unless 

 he first makes himself acquainted with the main facts regarding the 

 conformation of these marvellously constructed organs of progression. 



Most of our readers will be aware that the so-called knees of the horse- 

 correspond, not with the knees or elbows of man, but with his wrists. These 

 joints of the horse, like the wrists of man, are made up of a number of small 

 solid bones. There extends from each wrist joint of the horse one long bone^ 

 called the shank or canon bone, on each side of which is placed one 

 rudimentary bony appendage, termed a splint bone. Now this canon bone 

 corresponds with that bone of the human hand which extends from the 

 wrist to the root of the middle finger, and it is rounded at its extremity, 

 where it enters into the formation of the fetlock joint. The fore and hind 

 fetlock joints thus correspond with the joints at the root of the middle 

 finger and the middle toe respectively of man. Just as there are three 

 digits in the human fingers and toes re'spectively, so there are in those of 

 the horse. In the accompanying figure (from Chauveau) of the right 

 foreleg of a horse, A is the so-called knee joint ; B is the canon bone ; 

 C, one of the two splint bones ; D, E, and F are the first, second, and third 

 digits respectively. The third digit, F, is commonly termed the coffin bonc.- 

 X represents the lower surface of the navicular bone. 

 K 



