Diseases of the Foot. 469 



neath the belly, to bear as much of the weight as possil)le. 

 If inoTed, the horse groans, sways himseK back on his 

 hind parts, and drags the fore feet on their heels, or bal- 

 ancing himself on the hind, lifts both fore feet at once 

 and brings them down again on their heels. The affected 

 feet are warm, even hot, and the animal refuses to have 

 them lifted because of the pain consequent on standing 

 on one. If they are struck with a hammer the animal 

 winces and groans. The arteries on the pasterns throb 

 violently. The hairs of the mane and tail may often be 

 puUed from their follicles, showing the general implication 

 of the skin. 



If one fore foot only is affected it is kept raised and 

 advanced. If the hind feet, they are advanced beneath 

 the belly, and the fore feet carried as far backward as 

 possible to bear the greater part of the weight. 



Treatment. In the initial stage, with general stiffness 

 but no special tenderness of the feet over other parts, 

 vascular and nervous tension may be reheved and the 

 disease suddenly cut short by full doses of sedatives (lo- 

 beha, tobacco, aconite,) with warm clothing to encourage 

 perspiration. Even at a more advanced stage when the 

 feet are becoming congested and tender, the same may be 

 resorted to, the feet being enveloped in warm poultices, 

 and the animal encouraged to lie down by supplying a 

 clean comfortable bed of straw. Or in place of poulticing 

 the feet, we may seek to improve the circulation by walk- 

 ing without shoes on a soft newly plowed field, the heels 

 having been slightly lowered, i£ very high, to allow press- 

 ure on the sole, or the patient may even be walked on a 

 hard surface after a long bar shoe with broad web and a 

 slight risiag at heel and toe (rocker fashion) has been ap- 

 plied. But walking can never be resorted to when the 

 extreme tenderness and fever show that active inflamma- 

 tion has set in. In this case a mild laxative (aloes) must 

 be given (unless already purging) and followed up by aco- 

 nite or other sedatives, the feet must be enveloped in larga 



