WOUNDS 207 
portions of the brittle horn, and so rendering the foot in 
an even worse condition than it was before, it is policy to 
decline to have the shoes removed unless worse symptoms 
make their appearance. 
In coming to this decision the veterinary surgeon must 
be guided by noting in the wall the points of exit of the 
nails. Should the nail adjoining the position already pro- 
nounced to be tender have come out at a higher point than 
the others, it may be assumed that at a lower position in 
its course through the horn it has gone near the sensitive 
structures without actually penetrating the horny box, and 
that in the course of a day or two the sensitive structures 
involved will accommodate themselves to the pressure thus 
inflicted. 
If, on the other hand, symptoms of tight-nailing show 
themselves in an animal with good sound feet, then there 
is no objection to be raised against having the shoe at once 
removed. Should the offending nail be definitely detected, 
then the shoe may again be put on, and that particular 
nail omitted from the set. 
B. PUNCTURED FOOT. 
(Pricked Foot—Nail-tread—Gathered Nail.) 
Definition.—Under this heading we propose describing 
wounds of the foot occurring in the sole or in the frog, and 
penetrating the sensitive structures beneath. 
Causes.—These we shall consider under two headings : 
1. Wounds resulting from the animal himself ‘ picking- 
up’ or ‘ treading’ on the offending object. 
2. Cases of pricking in the forge. 
Those occurring under the first heading are, of course, 
purely accidental. In the majority of cases, the object picked 
up is a nail; but similar injury may result from the animal 
treading on sharp pieces of wood or iron, on pieces of 
umbrella wire, on pointed pieces of bones, broken-off 
stable-fork points, sharp pieces of flint, etc. The same 
accident may also occur in the forge as a result of the 
