118 DISEASES OF THE HORSE'S FOOT 



atrophied by reason of the continual pressure exerted upon 

 it by the ingrowing horn of the wall and the bars. The 

 median and lateral lacuna? of this organ, from being fairly 

 broad and open channels, become pressed into mere crack- 

 like openings (see the commencing of this condition in Fig. 

 SO, and a badly wasted from in Fig. 74a). As the case 

 goes on, the lateral branches of the frog entirely disappear, 

 and all that is left of the organ is a remnant of its body or 

 cushion, now wedged in tightly between the bars. Follow- 

 ing upon the disappearance of the frog, we find that the 

 bars are in contact, or in some cases, actually overlapping 

 each other at their posterior extremities. 



At this stage, perhaps, the whole condition has become 

 aggravated by a foul discharge from the place originally 

 occupied by the frog, and the foot, especially in the region 

 of the heels, has become hot and tender — really a form of 

 local and subacute laminitis. 



The long-continued inflammation, although only of a low 

 type, renders the horn of the hoof hard and dry, and only 

 with difficulty will the ordinary foot instruments cut it. 

 This in its turn leads to cracks and fissures in various 

 places, but more especially in the bars and what is left of 

 the frog- Often, too, cracks will appear in the horn of th '- 

 quarters, and a troublesome and incurable form of sand- 

 crack results. 



An animal with contraction advanced as far as this, espe- 

 cially if confined to one foot, goes unmistakably lame. 

 With both feet affected, he ordinarily starts out from the 

 stable in a manner that is commonly called 4 groggy.' In 

 other words, the gait is uncertain, and feeling; and stum- 

 bling is frequent. Anyone who has had the misfortune to 

 drive an animal with feet in this condition knows full well 

 that every little irregularity in the road at once makes itself 

 felt to the feet, and that the animal, as time goes on, learns 

 to carefully avoid any suspicious-looking group of stones 

 he may see. To drive an animal like this is to keep one's 

 self continually on tenter-hooks, for, sooner or later, the 

 inevitable happens, and the animal comes down. 



