407 



harder the road the worse lie limps. Furthermore, the lameness is 

 greater going down hill than up, for the reason that these conditions 

 are favorable to an increased motion in the edges of the fissure. 

 Lastly, more or less hemorrhage accompanies the inception of a 

 sand crack wlien the whole thickness of the wall is involved. Sub- 

 sequent hemorrhages may also take place from fast work, jumping, 

 or a misstep. 



Treatment. — In so far as preventive measures are concerned l)ut 

 little can be done. The suppleness of the horn is, of course, to be 

 maintained by the use of ointments, damp floor, bedding, etc. The 

 shoe is to be proportioned to the weight and work of the animal; the 

 nails holding it in place are to be of proper size and not driven too 

 near the heels; sufficient calks and toe-pieces must be added to the 

 shoes of horses Avorking on slipperj^ roads, and the evils of jumping, 

 fast driving, etc., are to be avoided. 



AVhen a fissure has made its appearance, means are to l)e adopted 

 which will prevent it from growing longer or deeper; and this can 

 only be done by arresting all motion in the edges. The best and 

 simplest artificial appliance for holding the borders of a toe crack 

 together is the Vachette clasp. These clasps, and the instruments 

 necessary for their application, can be had of any of the more i^rom- 

 inent makers of veterinary instruments. These instruments com- 

 prise a cautery iron with which two notches are burned in the wall, 

 one on each side of the crack, and forceps Avith which the clasps 

 are closed into place in the bottom of the notches and the edges of 

 the fissure brought close together. The clasps being made of stitf 

 steel wire are strong enough to prevent all motion in the borders 

 of the crack. Before these clasps are applied the fissure should 

 be thoroughly cleansed and dried, and, if the injury is of recent 

 origin, the crack may be filled with a putt}' ma-de of 2 parts of gutta 

 percha and 1 part of gum ammoniac. The number of clasps to be 

 used is to be determined by the length of the crack, the amount of 

 motion to be arrested, etc. Generally the clasps are from one-half 

 to three-quarters of an inch apart. The clasps answer equally as 

 well in quarter crack if the wall is sufficiently thick and not too dry 

 and brittle to withstand the strain. 



In the absence of these instruments and clasps a hole may be 

 drilled through the horn across the fissure, and the crack closed with 

 a thin nail made of tough iron, neatly clinched at both ends. A plate 

 of steel or brass is sometimes fitted to the parts and fastened on with 

 short screws; Avhile this appliance may prevent much gaping of the 

 fissure it does not entirely arrest motion of the edges for the simple 

 reason that the plate and screw can not be rendered immobile. 



If, for any reason, the above measures fail or can not be used 

 recourse must be had to an operation. The horn is softened by the 

 use of warm baths and poultices, the patient cast and the walls of 



