388 



the deeper structures of the foot, while in the hiud foot the iujury is 

 generally near the heels and the wound oblique and less deep. 



Synqitoms. — A nail or other sharp instrument may penetrate the 

 frog and remain there for several days without causing lameness ; in 

 fact, in many cases of punctured wound of the frog, the first evidence 

 of the injury is the finding of the nail on cleaning the foot or the ap- 

 pearance of an opening where the skin and frog unite from which more 

 or less pus escapes. Even when the sole is perforated, if the injury is 

 not too deep, no lameness develops until suppuration is established. 

 In all cases of foot lameness, especially if the cause is obscure, the foot 

 should be examined for evidences of iujury. 



The lameness from punctured wounds, accompanied by suppuration, 

 is generally severe, the patient often refusing to use the aflected mem- 

 ber at all. The pain being lancinating in character, he stands with 

 the injured foot at rest or constantly moves it back and forth. In 

 other cases the patient lies down most of the time with the feet out- 

 stretched ; the breathing is rapid, the pulse fast, the temperature ele- 

 vated, and the body covered with patches of sweat. 



When the plantar aponeurosis is injured the pus escapes with diffi- 

 culty and the wound shows no signs of healing ; the whole foot is hot 

 and very painful. If the puncture involves the sesamoid sheath the 

 synovial fluid escapes. At first this fluid is pure, like joint-water, but 

 later on it becomes mixed with the products of suppuration and loses 

 its clear amber color. In these cases the suppuration generally ex- 

 tends np the course of the flexor tendon, an abscess forms in the hollow 

 of the heel, and finally opens somewhere below the fetlock joint. The 

 whole coronet is more or less swollen, the discharge is jDrofuse and often 

 mixed with blood, yet the suffering is greatlj^ relieved from the moment 

 the abscess opens. 



When the wound reaches the navicular bone the lameness is intense 

 from the beginning ; but after all the only certain way in which to de- 

 termine the existence of this complication is in the nse of the probe, 

 and unless there is a free escape of synovia the probe should be used 

 with the greatest of care, else the coflBn joint may be opened. 



If the coffin -joint has been i)enetrated, either by the offending in- 

 strument or by the process of suppuration, acute inflammation of the 

 joint follows, accompanied by high fever, loss of apj^etite, etc. The 

 ankle and coronet are now greatly swollen, and in many cases dropsy of 

 the leg to the knee or hock, or even to the body, follows. If the process 

 of suppuration continues small abscesses apT)^ar at intervals on different 

 parts of the coronet, the patient rapidly loses flesh, and may die from 

 the effects of the intense suffering and blood poisoning. In other cases 

 the suppuration soon disapj)ears and recovery is effected by the joint 

 becoming stiff (anchylosis). 



When the wound is forward, near the toe, and deep enough to injure 

 the coffin bone, caries always results. The presence of the dead pieces 



