178 DISEASES OF THE FEET. 



of the case chiefly depends on the extent to which the coronet is 

 involved. 



TREATMENT. — If much lameness is present, the foot should be 

 kept in water or poulticed, for a day or two. If, after this, the 

 lameness continues, the part should be freely opened out with a 

 searcher, and suitably treated; for we may rest assured that its 

 persistence, then, indicates the presence of mischief in the interior 

 of the foot. After " bottoming " the crack, we sometimes see 

 copious granulations (proud flesh) protruding into it. These 

 granulations should not be interfered with; as they will subside 

 with the inflammation on the removal of the cause of irritation. 

 In the treatment of the inflamed tissues within the fissure, nothing 

 further need be done than keeping the part clean and covering 

 it over with tannoform or iodoform. 



After the inflammation has gone down, or if it has not mani- 

 fested itself to any marked extent, we can proceed to the direct 

 treatment of the injury in the horn, which may be considered under 

 two conditions : (1) When the crack does not extend up to the 

 coronet; (2) when it reaches that part. In the first case we may 

 cut, with the searcher, a groove about an inch long, across the upper 

 extremity of the fissure and parallel to the coronet, so as to protect 

 the part from the effects of concussion, and to allow the horn to 

 grow down intact. The groove should be made as deep as possible, 

 without injuring the sensitive parts : an accident which would 

 usually be manifested by the appearance of blood. Another and 

 similar groove may be made at the lower extremity of the crack, 

 in order to prevent motion between the divided edges, and also to 

 stop the fissure from invading the sound horn below. If these 

 means are not sufficient to save the sensitive parts from becoming 

 pinched between the edges of the crack, we may apply clasps — as 

 will be explained further on — to keep the edges together, and also 

 to prevent the lodgment of grit and dirt ; or we may open out the 

 crack with a fine searcher, and keep the grooves which are made, 

 constantly filled with some adhesive mixture, such as that men- 

 tioned on page 202, or suet and beeswax, in proportions suitable 

 to the climate. We may apply lanoline (p. 204) to preserve and 

 increase the cohesion of the fibres of the wall, one with another. 

 The coronet should be stimulated to secrete stronger horn by rub- 

 bing into it, every second day or so, a little weak cantharides oint- 

 ment, say, 1 to 24 of lard. A bar shoe — with a bar across the 

 centre (Fig. 51), so as to give frog pressure ; or heart-shaped (Fig. 

 52) if the animal is required to go beyond a walk — may be 

 applied ; the sole and wall immediately below the crack having 

 been previously eased off to avoid pressure. The disadvantages 



