LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 358 
the irun across the fissure can not prevent the opening and closure 
of the fissure during the action of the foot; whereas, isolating the 
fissure (or part of it) within the segment of a circle completely 
effects the object. No tar-cord or strapping, or alteration of the 
shoe, is required to limit the motion of the crust, all motion being 
suspended within the segment, and especially after bulging has 
pummenceid, 
The objects of treatment, after what has been stated, will clearly 
appear to be, first, to place the hoof in such a condition as shall 
not render it liable to crack again; second, to remove that state 
of it which, in the first instance, disposed it to crack, if it were 
not of itself the immediate cause of cracking. The way in which 
the first object is effected has been already shown, and when this 
has become accomplished, past all risk of return, we may set about 
to bring into effect the second. A bar-shoe, from its taking the 
bearing off the quarters and placing it upon the frog, will, in a 
measure, give facility to what we now are desirous of preventing; 
namely, the expansion of the heels of the foot; but a tip (pro- 
viding it can be worn, which it frequently may, with great ad- 
vantage, after a bar-shoe) will bring about greater reform still— 
will, ia fact, by persistence in its use, bring about, in time, that 
improved form of hoof which will be no more liable to quarter 
sand-crack. 
The treatment of toe sand-crack is, in some respects, a different 
affair from that of quarter sand-crack. This disease is not only 
different in its relative situation as regards other parts of the foot, 
hut it arises, as we have seen, from a totally different causation. 
When once it has occurred, it becomes, compared with the other, 
a serious affair, The horse is lame, too lame to continue his work, 
probably, and we have a penetrant crack to deal with, extending 
all, or nearly all, the way from the coronet to the toe, discharging 
blood, or, perhaps, matter of some ichorous, offensive description, 
plainly calling upon us for, not binding up, etc., as in the former 
ease, but for opening, cleansing, and dressing the same. The shoe 
being taken off, let the crack be pared out, and freed from all 
horny fags and asperities, and laid completely open to view, so 
that the bottom can be inspected and dressed with whatever may 
be deemed requisite. In fact, when once the fissure is dilated into 
a clean and open channel by the drawing-knife, warm baths or 
poultices, or dressings of any kind, as may become necessary, are 
