420 STABLE MANUAL AND HORSE DOCTOR 



under the shoe ; the horse must be put into a thoroughly 

 dry boxj from which the urine will immediately run off, 

 and where no kind of moisture can reach the diseased part. 

 A cankered foot, however, must not be dressed too frequently. 

 The two or three first dressings may be given on succeeding 

 days ; but, when the fungus has been in some degrees sub- 

 dued, the bandages should only be removed every fourth 

 day, or even once a week. Every time that the foot is 

 exposed, it should be carefully examined in order to see 

 that there is no portion of unhealthy horn ; for if there is, 

 it must be immediately removed. The appearance of the 

 exposed surface must also be inspected with great attention. 

 Fresh fungus will require a fresh application of the powder, 

 or possibly of the knife. Every little pellicle of skinny 

 matter or soft and porous horn must also be pared away ; 

 the healthy horn which has been secreted must be lightly 

 run over with the knife, and then the butyr of antimony 

 applied to the whole of the surface, the quantity used 

 on the different portions of it varying with the progress 

 towards a cure. After this the foot must be bound up as 

 before. 



A few days having passed — if the sprouting of the fungus 

 has been quite checked, but yet the horn does not grow so 

 healthily as could be wished— a pledget of tow may be 

 dipped in the solution of the chloride of zinc, and spread 

 over that portion of the foot, with more dry tow placed 

 upon that. A sudden change will thus often be effected ; 

 but should this not take place to the desired extent, try 

 muriate of antimony, laid on with a brush. 



The secret of the treatment of canker consists in the use 

 of superficial caustics or stimulants ; pressure as firmly 

 and as equably as it can be made ; and the careful avoid- 

 ance of greasy applications or of moisture, either applied 

 immediately to the foot, or suffered to penetrate to it 

 through the dressing. The solution of chloride of zinc is 

 an exception to this last rule, for it corrects the exudation 

 from the foot, and stimulates the sensitive parts to the secre- 

 tion of healthy horn, while the small quantity that need be 

 used will be far from supplying constant moisture. 



If wet can certainly be avoided, a horse with a cankered 

 foot will, immediately after the first apparent growth of 

 good horn, do much better at work than standing idle in 

 the stable. 



