244 VETEKINAEY MEDICINE AND SUKGERY. 



In the more advanced stage, the horse will often come out of his stable 

 stiff and lame after an interval of rest. He may scarcely be able to put 

 his foot to the ground, but after he has been exercised a short time, the 

 great lameness will disappear, especially if the ground be soft. This is 

 very characteristic of the disease. 



From the above it will be seen that the symptoms of navicular disease 

 are negative rather than positive. If the signs of the lameness are those 

 of foot lameness, and if, after due examination, no other adequate cause 

 can be discovered, we have reason to suspect navicular disease. 



In all cases of long standing, the foot or feet become contracted. In 

 some cases the atrophy extends to the muscles of the shoulders and fore- 

 arm. This wasting away is due simply to the decreased use which the 

 horse makes of his fore-hand in action, on account of the disease existing 

 in his fore-feet. 



Treatment. — The shoes should be removed, the frogs allowed to 

 touch the ground^ and blood taken from the toe or coronary plexus. The 

 feet should be placed in a cold-water bath for some hours during the day, 

 and in a poultice at night: 



Ground linseed § iv. 



Olive oil |ss. 



Boiling water i pint. 



Mix the meal gradually with the water, and then add the oil, stirring. 



During the time the feet are in the bath, the horse's head must be tied 

 up, but at other times he should be encouraged to lie down by keeping 

 him in a well-ventilated, dark stall, with the view to take the weight off 

 the feet. This method of treatment, with an occasional purgative and a 

 cooling diet, has proved most successful. At the end of a fortnight, 

 whether the lameness be removed or not, a mild blister around the coro 

 net will be beneficial, as: 



Biniodide of mercury 3 ss. 



Lard 1 i. 



Mix intimately. 



If these remedies prove ineffectual, a seton must be passed through 

 the frog. After the seton has been introduced, the shoes should be 

 lightly tacked on, for the purpose of relieving the now inflamed frog from 



