168 DISEASES OF THE FEET. 



employed, care should be taken that it is not allowed to run on 

 to the pasterns; for if it does so, it may blister their skin. 



If the animal be lame from thrush, it is well to syringe out the 

 parts for a few minutes with warm water, two or three times a 

 day, before using the application, which in this case should not be 

 of a tarry nature; and keep him on green food. 



If practicable, take the shoes off and keep the heels and wall of 

 the hoof as low as possible, short of making the horse go tender, 

 and exercise him two or three times a day on dry and soft ground, 

 which, by filling up the cavities formed by the sole and frog, will 

 distribute even pressure over these surfaces. If the exercise be 

 given on a smooth and level track, the consequent pressure will 

 fall only on the horny prominences of the ground surface of the 

 foot. A month of this treatment combined with the other remedial 

 details described, will generally restore the frog to a healthy and 

 to nearly, if not quite, its natural size. 



If maggots be present, those within reach should be picked out. 

 The application of oil of turpentine, or eucalyptus- oil, either by 

 itself or combined in the manner already suggested, or a little 

 powdered camphor will remove any that may be left. 



If the sensitive frog, which will look red and tender, becomes 

 exposed, it may be treated with powdered burnt alum, tannoform, 

 or iodoform, and sliouldbe protected from dirt and other irritating 

 bodies by cotton-wool, or tow. Here, the use of caustics or strong 

 astringents is not required. 



For remarks on thrush brought on by frost-bite, see page 116. 



In obstinate cases, give an ounce of liquor arsenioalis daily in 

 the food for a week or ten days. 



LEGAL ASPECT OF THRUSH.— In Barrett v. Preece (Shrews- 

 l>ury County Court, see " Veterinarian " for 1858, p. 235), it was 

 decided that the fact of a horse which was warranted sound, having 

 thrush, was a breach of the warranty. 



Contracted Heels. 



This condition (Fig. 48) may arise from causes described in the 

 preceding article on " Thrush ; " from the practice of the animal 

 going on his toe by reason of the existence of pain (as in navicular 

 disease), or infirmity; or from malformation. The only cases to 

 be attributed to deformity are those in which the coronet, at the 

 back of the foot, is not on the same level on both sides. In two 

 or three instances I have seen the coronet over an inch higher up 

 the pastern at one heel than at the other. Although opportunity 



