DOGS : THEIR MANAGEMENT. 



441 



that their dogs become foot-sore. These animals have 

 an elastic pad at the bottom of each foot, on which, con- 

 jointly with the nails of the toes, the creatures walk. The 

 bottom of the dog's foot is covered with a thick cuticle, 

 which is rapidly reproduced in ordinary cases, as soon as 

 or before it has been worn down : but the game dog is 

 often kept inactive during the summer, and then in 

 autumn brought into sudden work. The consequences 

 of this foolish practice are, that nature during the warm 

 season supplies only a cuticle fitted to the wants of the 

 animal, which being suddenly forced to endure excessive 

 exercise, soon wears away, and the foot thus left devoid 

 of covering, is raw, and consec[uently tender. For this 

 state of the part, Blaine, who is therein followed by 

 Touatt, recommends " pot liquor." I do not know what 

 " pot liquor" means. Cooks apply the name to various 

 refuse waters, in which dififerent and opposite ingredients 

 have been boiled. If so, the material with which it is 

 made being dissimilar, the product cannot be the same. 

 It appears to be a filth, generally cast into the hog-tub ; 

 and as such cannot be a proper medicine wherewith to 

 cure a lame dog's foot. I throw it into the receptacle for 

 which it is intended ; and do so because I cannot under- 

 stand it is possessed of any curative properties. The 

 mode I pursue in these cases is simply this : — I get a basin 

 of tepid water and a soft sponge ; and I then well wash 

 the injured foot. When every particle of grit or dirt is 

 thoroughly removed, I apply to the dried sore surface a 

 lotion composed of two grains of chloride of zinc to one 

 10* 



