DISEASES OF THE FETLOCK, ANKLE, AND FOOT. 417 



the corresponding quarter, owing to the stimulating effect which the 

 disease has upon the coronary band. 



Complications may arise by an extension of the disease to the lat- 

 eral ligament of the coffin joint, to the joint itself, to the plantar 

 cushion, and by caries of the coffin bone. 



Treatment. — Before recovery can take place all the "dead cartilage 

 must be removed. In rare instances this is effected by nature without 

 ■ assistance. Usually, however, the disease does not tend to recovery, 

 and active curative measures must be adopted. The best and sim- 

 plest treatment, in a majority of cases, is the injection of strong 

 caustic solutions, which destroy the diseased cartilage and cause its 

 discharge, along with the other products of suppuration. In favor- 

 able cases these injections will secure a healing of the wound in 

 from two to three weeks. While the saturated solution of sulphate 

 of copper, or a solution of 10 parts of bichlorid of mercury to 100 

 parts of water, has given the best results in my hands, equally, as 

 favorable success has been secured by others from the use of caustic 

 soda, nitrate of silver, sulphate of zinc, tincture of iodin, etc. No 

 matter which one of these remedies may be selected, however, it must 

 be used at least twice a day for a time. The solution is injected into 

 the various openings with force enough to drive it to the bottom of 

 the wound, after which the foot is to be dressed with a pad of oalnim, 

 held in place by a roller bandage tightly applied. While it is not 

 always necessary, it is often of advantage to relieve the pressure on 

 the parts by rasping away the hoof over the seat of the cartilage ; the 

 coronary band and laminsB should not be injured in the operation. 



.If the caustic injections prove successful, the discharge will be- 

 come healthy and gradually diminish, so that by the end of the 

 second week the fistulous tracts are closing up and the injections are 

 made with much difficulty. 



If, on the other hand, there is but little or no improvement after 

 this treatment has been used for three weeks, it may reasonably be 

 concluded that the operation for the removal of the lateral cartilage 

 must be resorted to for the cure of the trouble. As this operation 

 can be safely undertaken only by an expert surgeon, it will not be 

 described in this connection. 



THRUSH. 



Thrush is characterized by an excessive secretion of unhealthy 

 matter from the cleft of the frog. While all classes of horses are 

 liable to this affection, it is more often seen in the common draft 

 horse than in any other breed, owing to the conditions of servitude 

 and not to the fault of the breed. Country horses are much less 

 36444°— 16— 27 



