3 1 6 COMPENDIUM OF THE VETERINARY ART. 



Punciured Woioids. 



This kind of wound also often occurs in 

 veterinarv practice. I'he feet are particularly 

 liable to it, and not imfrequently they are 

 indicted through the carelessness or mi- 

 patience of the groom. During the time of 

 my service in the army, I may truly assert, 

 that more tlian fifty cases occurretl, in which 

 the wound was inflicted by the fork used 

 about the litter, either by accident or by the 

 savaofe violence of the Gfroom. It is but just 

 however to acknowledge, that a good soldier 

 will sacrifice even his own repose to that of 

 his horse, and thinks nothing a labour that can 

 contribute to the health and comfort of his 

 faithful companion ; but among so great a 

 jumiber of men, there are too often some of 

 a ditferont description. Punctured woimds 

 of the feet are most frer^uent, and are caused, 

 either by the horse stepping on a nail, or 

 pickiiig lip a nail as it is termed, or by 

 carelessness of the farrier in shoeing. In 

 the former case the nail generally enters the 

 frog, and often penetrates the joint of the 

 coffin bone. {%ee Anatomy of the Foot.) The 

 sole is generally sufnciently hard to resist the 



