451 



must and does burrow betweeu the sole or wall aud the sensitive parts 

 ■witliin it until it generally opens " between hair and hoof." We can 

 thus see why pain is so much more severe, why tetanus (lockjaw) more 

 frequently follows wounds of the feet, and why, from the extensive, or 

 at times complete, separation and "casting" of the hoof, these wounds 

 must always be regarded with grave apprehension. 



Symptoms and treatment. — A practice which, if never deviated from — 

 that of picking up each foot, cleaniug the sole, and thoroughly examin- 

 ing the foot each and every time the horse comes into the stable — will 

 enable us to reduce the serious consequences of punctured wounds of 

 the feet to the minimum. If the wound has resulted from pricking, 

 lameness follows soon after shoeing; if from the nails being driven too 

 close, it usually appears from four to tive days or a week after receiv- 

 ing the shoe. We should always inquire as to the time of shoeing, ex- 

 amine the shoe carefally aud see whether it has been partially pulled 

 and the horse stepped back upon some of the nails or the clip. The 

 pain from these wounds is lancinating ; the horse is seen to raise and 

 lower the limb or hold it from the ground altogether; often he points 

 the foot, Ilexes the leg, and knuckles at the fetlock. Swelling of the 

 fetlock and back tendons is also frequently seen and is apt to mislead 

 us. The foot must he carefully examined, and this can not he properly done 

 without removing the shoe. The nails should be drawn separately and 

 carefully examined. If there is no escape of matter from the nail-holes, 

 or if the nails themselves are not moist, we must continue our examina- 

 tion of the foot by carefully pinching or tapping it at all parts. With a 

 little practice we can detect the spot where pain is the greatest or dis- 

 cover the delicate line or scar left at the point of entrance of the foreign 

 body. The entire sole is then to be thinned, after which we are to care- 

 fully cut down upon the point where paiu is greatest upon pressure, 

 and, finally, through the sole at this spot. When the matter has escaped, 

 the sole, so far as it was undermined by pus, is to be removed. The foot 

 must now be poulticed for one or two days and afterward dressed with 

 a compress of oakum saturated with carbolic-acid solution or other anti- 

 septic dressing. 



If we discover anail or other object in the foot the principal direction, 

 after having removed the offending body, is to cut away the sole, in a 

 funnel shape, down to the sensitive parts beneath. This is imperative, 

 and if a good free opening has been made and is maintained for a few 

 days, hot fomentations and antisei)tic dressings applied, the cure is 

 mostly easy, simple, quick, aud permanent. The horse should be shod 

 •with a leather sole under the shoe, first of all a]:>plying tar and oakum 

 to prevent any dirt from entering the wound. In some instances nails 

 may puncture the flexor tendons, the coffin bone, or enter the coffin 

 joint. Such injuries are always serious, their recovery slow and tedious, 

 and the treatment so varied aud difficult that the services of a veteri- 

 narian will be necessary. 



