394 THE HORSE. 



the legs filling, for some grooms use them so continually, whethei 

 they are wanted or not, that the kidneys become diseased and refuse 

 to act, which is a sure forerunner of oedema. Where swelling of 

 the legs is confirmed, bandages must be regularly applied as recom- 

 mended at page 196. 



CHAPPED HEELS. 



When a horse suffers from cedema of the legs, he is par- 

 ticularly prone to an eruption of a watery nature in the cleft 

 between the heels and behind the lesser pastern. Those also 

 whose legs are washed and not dried are still more prone to it, 

 especially if the hair is white. The skin cracks, and, in bad cases, 

 is so inflamed and swollen that the leg cannot be bent without great 

 pain, and often there is a bleeding from the cracks, caused by the 

 action of the limb, but only to a sufficient extent to show that blood 

 has escaped. The treatment must be local as well as general if the 

 eruption is not entirely due to mismanagement. In any case, the 

 part should be dressed with cerate of acetate of lead, a little of 

 which should be rubbed in every night. Next morning some gly- 

 cerine should be brushed on an hour at least before the exercise, 

 and renewed before the daily work is commenced. This will pre- 

 vent all risk of the skin cracking, while the ointment will act bene- 

 ficially on the vessels of the part. In addition to these applica- 

 tions, the general health should be attended to if in fault, and 

 tonics or diuretics should be given, as the case may require 



GREASE. 



[Commonly called '^Scratches^^ in the United States.^ 



The eruption known as grease is sometimes only an aggra- 

 vated form of chapped heels, and is often preceded by them. At 

 others the appearance of the disease is ushere.d in by constitutional 

 symptoms, such as feverishness, oedema of the limbs and hide- 

 bound. The first local sT/mptom is a slight swelling of the skin 

 of the heels and adjacent parts, which soon cracks, and from the 

 fissures there exudes an offensive discharge which looks' greasy, but 

 is really watery, being of a serous nature. It inflames every part 

 that it touches, and has a tendency to cause a spread of the eruption 

 in all directions, but chiefly downwards. The legs go on swelling to 

 a frightful extent, and are thereby rendered so stiff and sore that 

 great lameness is produced. If this stage is neglected the whole 

 surfjice ulcerates, and a fungous growth makes its appearance, 

 chiefly from the original cracks. The discharge becomes purulent 

 and has a most foul smell, and the leg can with difficulty be bent 

 at all. Finally^ the fungous excrescences cover the whole of the 

 diseased skin, being of a bright red color, and slightly resembling 

 grapes in form, frum which circumstances this stage has been 



