DISEASES FROM FAULTY CONFORMATION 165 



Symptoms. — In every case the fissure, or evidence of its 

 commencement, is a diagnostic symptom. It is well to 

 remember, however, that this may be easily overlooked, 

 especially when the crack is one commencing at the 

 coronary margin. The reason is this : Sand-cracks in this 

 position often commence in the wall proper, and not in the 

 periople. They may, in fact, be first observed as a fine 

 separation of the horn fibres immediately beneath the 

 pcrioplic covering. A crack of this description may even 

 show haemorrhage, and have been in existence for some 

 time, without the periople itself showing any lesion what- 

 ever. Thus, useless lameness is present, or a more than 

 specially keen search is directed to the parts in question, the 

 sand-crack goes undiscovered, until of greater dimensions. 



Further, the fissure may be hidden, either accidentally 

 or of set purpose. It may be covered by the hair, filled in 

 and covered over with mud, or intentionally concealed by 

 being ' stopped ' with an artificial horn, with wax, or with 

 gutta-percha, or, as is more common, be hidden by the 

 lavish application of a greasy hoof-dressing. 



In this latter connection it is well to warn the veterinary 

 surgeon, especially the beginner, when examining for sound- 

 ness, to be keenly critical before passing an animal who is 

 presented with feet smothered with tar and grease or any 

 other dressing. More especially should this warning be 

 heeded when examining any of the heavier breeds of animal 

 with an abundance of hair about the coronet. 



Referring again to the search for the crack, it is well to 

 know that with toe-crack the fissure is the more readily seen 

 when the foot is lifted from the ground. With quarter- 

 crack, on the other hand, the fissure is wider, and conse- 

 quently the easier detected with the foot bearing weight. 



Although commencing in the insidious manner we have 

 described, the lesion is not thus often seen by the veterinary 

 surgeon. Usually, the animal with sand-crack is brought 

 for his inspection when lameness has arisen from it. In 

 this case the cause for the lameness will reveal itself in the 

 crack, which is now too large to escape observation. The 



