INFLAMMATORY AFFECTIONS. 305 



found to be accumulated in the median, and often in the 

 lateral, lacuna?. The organ is wasted and fissured, the 

 horn in the depths of the lacunae softened and easily de- 

 tachable, and portions of the sensitive frog often laid 

 bare. 



With a bad thrush lameness is present, the frog itself is 

 tender to pressure, and often there is considerable heat and 

 tenderness of the heels and the coronet immediately above. 

 More especially is this noticeable after a journey. 



It is, perhaps, more common in the hind-feet than in the 

 fore, and more often met with in heavy draught animals 

 than in nags. The hind-feet are, of course, more open to 

 infection by reason of their being constantly called upon to 

 stand in the animal discharges in the rear of stable stand- 

 ings, while it is a well-known fact that heavy animals have 

 their stables kept far less clean, and their feet less assidu- 

 ously cared for, than do animals of a lighter type. 



In a nag-horse with thrush of both fore-feet lameness 

 becomes sometimes very great. The gait when first moved 

 out from the stable is feeling and suggestive of corns, while 

 progress on a road with loose stones is sometimes posi- 

 tively dangerous to the driver. 



Treatment. — When this condition has arisen, as it often 

 does, from want of counter-pressure of the frog with the 

 ground, this pressure must be restored after the manner 

 described when dealing with the treatment of contracted 

 foot (see p. 125) either by the use of tip or bar shoes, or 

 by suitable pads and stopping. 



So far as direct treatment of the lesion itself is concerned, 

 the first step is to carefullly trim away all diseased horn 

 and freely open up the lacunae in which the discharge has 

 accumulated. Good results are then often arrived at by 

 poulticing, afterwards followed up by suitable antiseptic 

 dressings. With us a fovourite one is the Sol. Hydrarg. 

 Perchlor. of Tuson, used without dilution. Others use a 

 dry dressing, and dust with Calomel, with a mixture of 

 Sulphate of Copper, Sulphate of Zinc and Alum, or with 

 Subacetate of Copper and Tannin. 



