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may pierce the periosteum of the coffin bone, or in the heel 

 it ma}^ pierce the joint or fatty frog; these latter are always 

 of a very grave character. It is a very strange fact that in 

 very many instances the smaller the nail, for example, that 

 enters the foot, the more damage ensues ; while a very large 

 one is much less injurious, and often leads to less inflamma- 

 tion and constitutional disturbance. 



These injuries are very often caused by either the care- 

 lessness or ignorance of horse-shoers, w^ho know nothing of 

 the structure of the foot ; or an animal while at work pricks 

 his foot with a nail in the street (very often lath nails), 

 a piece of thick glass, sharp flints, or, in fact, any sharp 

 instrument. 



Symptoms. — These are very apparent, as shown by the 

 sudden lameness, and indeed in most cases the animal can- 

 not proceed one step until the foreign substance is removed. 

 The intense pain in this, as in other injuries of the foot, 

 produces the lameness. The evils to apprehend in this case 

 are : inflammation ending in suppuration, which may lead 

 to the formation of sinuses ; necrosis of part of the coffin 

 bone ; or, more fatal yet, the irritation may be so severe as 

 to end in tetanus (lock-jaw). Simple an affair as a prick in a 

 horse's foot seems to be, it is always attended by traumatic 

 fever in a greater or less degree ; this usually sets in a few 

 hours after the injury, or soon after reaction has been fairly 

 established. 



Treatment. — The first thing to be done is to find out 

 and remove the offending substance, whether it be a nail, 

 glass, or any sharp instrument. For this purpose the part 

 must be washed with tepid water, and the foot thoroughly 

 examined ; in the next place, a pincers must be pressed 

 against the sole and wall of the hoof all around until some 

 particular spot shows tenderness on pressure — this will 

 determine the seat of the wound. 



When the wound is discovered, all foreign matter, as well 

 as the nail, must be removed, such as dirt, sand, gravel, &c., 



