INFLAMMATION OF THE FEET. 189 



similar to a man suffering from broken chilblains, and 

 having a boot on ; notwithstanding, you will seldom 

 discover the disease till all the symptoms become 

 fully marked. 



Treatment. Take the shoes off very gently, filing 

 away the clenches, and slowly withdrawing each nail 

 separately, for the pain is intense. Thin the sole all 

 over as well as you can, cutting away small chips 

 from the crust also, with the drawing-knife, and then 

 filing even. You must do this when he is down, if 

 he is unable to stand to allow it. Bleed three quarts 

 from each affected foot ;* if you cannot get that 

 quantity, take as much as you can, and then bleed 

 six quarts from the neck vein. The bleeding over, 

 put the feet into warm poultices of bran and linseed 

 meal. Back-rake, clyster, with warm soap and wa- 

 ter, and give the mild aloetic salt drench, p. 73 ; also 

 one drachm and a half of emetic tartar, two drachms 

 of nitre, and two drachms of cream of tartar, morning 

 and evening, for three days, dissolved in half a pint 

 of warm water. Make a large soft bed, that he may 

 lie down as much as possible ; but, for the first three 

 days, the diet must be only bran mash ; water with 

 the chill off, and occasionally a handful of green 

 grass. On the following day after the attack, if the 

 inflammation has not subsided, bleed again, three 

 quarts from each foot ; and if the horse is fat, change 

 the warm poultices to swabs of cloth, which wrap 

 round the hoofs, keeping them well wet with two 

 ounces of nitre dissolved in a quart of the coldest 

 water. On the third day, if the inflammation still 

 remains, the pastern, round about the coronet, is to 



"See "BLEEDING," p. 62. 



