447 



clear aucl odorless, but grayish, milky, and fetid. Tlio fetor of the 

 discharge draws attention to the part whenever one enters the stable, 

 and the swollen pastern and Avet, matted hairs on the heel draw atten- 

 tion to the precise seat of the malady. If actively treated the disease 

 may not advance farther, but if neglected the tense tender skin cracks 

 open, leaving open sores from which vascular bleeding growths grow 

 up, constituting the " grapes. '' The hair is shed, and the heel may 

 appear but as one mass of rounded, red, angry excrescences which bleed 

 on handling and are covered with the now repulsively fetid decom- 

 posing discharge. During this time there is little or no fever, the ani- 

 mal feeds well, and but for its local trouble it might continue at work. 

 When the malady extends to the frog there is a fetid discharge fronl 

 its cleft, or from the depressions at its sides, and this gradually extends 

 to its whole surface and upon the adjacent parts of the sole. The 

 horn meanwhile becomes soft, whitish, and fleshy in aspect, its con- 

 stituent tubes being greatly enlarged and losing their natural cohesion ; 

 it grows rapidly above the level of the surrounding horn, and when 

 pared is found to be penetrated to an unusual depth by the secretino- 

 papilla?, and that at intervals these have bulged out into a vascular 

 fungus mass comparable to the "grapes." 



In ireatment hygienic measures occupy a front rank, but are in 

 themselves insufBcient to establish a cure. AU local and general con- 

 ditions which favor the production and pei-sistence of the disease must 

 be guarded against. Above all, cleanliness and purity of tlie stable 

 and air must be secured; also, nourishing diet, regular exercise, and 

 the avoidance of local irritants— septic, muddy, chilling, etc. At the 

 outset benzoated oxide of zinc ointment may be used with advantage. 

 A still better dressing is made with 1 ounce vaseline, 2 di-ams oxide'^of 

 zinc, and 20 drops iodized phenol. If the surface is much swollen and 

 tender, a flaxseed poultice may be applied over the surface of which 

 has been poured some of the following lotion: Sugar of lead, one- 

 half ounce ; carbolic acid, 1 dram ; water, 1 quart. All the astringents 

 of the pharmacopeia have been employed with more or less achan- 

 tage, and some particular one seems to suit particular cases or patients 

 To destroy the grapes, they may be rubbed daily with strong caustics 

 (copperas, bluestone, lunar caustic), or each may be tied round its 

 neck by a stout waxed thread, or finally and more speedily they may 

 be cut off by a blacksmith's sliovel heated to redness, and applied 

 with its sharp edge toward the neck of the excrescence, over a cold 

 shovel held between it and the skin to protect it from the heat. The 

 latter must be frequently dipped in water to cool it down. After the 

 removal of the grapes the astringent dressing must be persistently 

 applied to the surface. When the frog is affected it must be pared to 

 the quick and dressed with dry caustic powders (quicklime, copperas, 

 bluestone), or carbolic acid and subjected to pressure, the dressing 

 being renewed every day at least. '^ 



