WOUNDS 207 



portions of the brittle horn, and so rendering the foot in 

 an even worse condition than it was before, it is pohcy to 

 decKne to have the shoes removed unless worse symptoms 

 make their appearance. 



In coming to this decision the veterinary surgeon must 

 be guided by noting in the wall the points of exit of the 

 nails. Should the nail adjoining the position already pro- 

 nounced to be tender have come out at a higher point than 

 the others, it may be assumed that at a lower position in 

 its course through the horn it has gone near the sensitive 

 structures without actually penetrating the horny box, and 

 that in the course of a day or two the sensitive structures 

 involved will accommodate themselves to the pressure thus 

 inflicted. 



If, on the other hand, symptoms of tight-nailing show 

 themselves in an animal with good sound feet, then there 

 is no objection to be raised against having the shoe at once 

 removed. Should the offending nail be definitely detected, 

 then the shoe may again be put on, and that particular 

 nail omitted from the set. 



B. PUNCTUEED FOOT. 

 {Pricked Foot — Nail-tread — Gathered Nail.) 



Definition. — Under this heading we propose describing 

 wounds of the foot occurring in the sole or in the frog, and 

 penetrating the sensitive structures beneath. 



Causes. — These we shall consider under two headings : 



1. Wounds resulting from the animal himself ' picking- 

 up ' or ' treading ' on the offending object. 



2. Cases of pricking in the forge. 



Those occurring under the first heading are, of course, 

 purely accidental. In the majority of cases, the object picked 

 up is a nail; but similar injury may result from the animal 

 treading on sharp pieces of wood or iron, on pieces of 

 umbrella wire, on pointed pieces of bones, broken-off 

 stable-fork points, sharp pieces of flint, etc. The same 

 accident may also occur in the forge as a result of the 



