520 DRESSING FOR THRUSH. [BOOK III. 



Symptoms. — The earliest, as just said, is de- 

 noted by tenderness at the cleft of the fore foot, 

 accompanied by sharp, quickened and irregular 

 pulse, as usual in all cases of local inflammation, 

 being at the same time both cause and effect. Of 

 course it follows, that as the disorder in the sensible 

 frog proceeds towards maturity, the blood feels and 

 tells of that fact by increased disorder of the pul- 

 sation. These timely indications being neglected, 

 as usually happens, if the animal be put along over 

 stony or newly-dressed roads, the first discovered 

 symptom will then be his tumbling down through 

 acute pain. The cleft opens, and an issue of a 

 most offensive kind presents itself. 



Cure, — If not speedily taken in hand, canker will 

 be the consequence of a neglected frush. But, as 

 scarcely one in ten will take the precaution to 

 ascertain, from the state of his pulse, when the 

 horse is likely to acquire this or any other inflam- 

 matory disease, it may be deemed impertinent in 

 us to say, that the preventive of frush in its w r orst 

 state may be found in purging physic and a cooling 

 regimen, as prescribed for general inflammatory 

 and febrile complaints, set down at the commence- 

 ment of Book ii. pages 171, 182, Sec. ; for this 

 disease frequently depends on some untimely-sup- 

 pressed evacuation, as the urine, stool, or perspi- 

 ration ; then let these be restored by giving the 

 diaphoretic powders, purging or pissing balls, ac- 

 cording to circumstances. A very much hurried 

 pulse would of course point out the necessity of im- 



