606 OPERATIONS ON THE FOOT. 



by Solleysel, but soon abandoned by him. In applying the cau- 

 tery upon the uncovered tissues of the 'hoof, we encounter the 

 chance of producing a very severe inflammation, which spreads by 

 degrees and gives rise to extensive slough of the hoof, as a con- 

 sequence of the serious exudation which takes place ; the action 

 of the cautery may then become either too mQd or too vigorous. 

 Still, it has been recommended by Prevost, of Geneva. Hurtrel 

 d'Arboval, who also employed it, used it in the following manner: 

 the parts being covered vfdth a mixture of gunpowder and sulphur, 

 a red-hot iron was applied to the spot, the powder burning sud- 

 denly and the sulphur slowly. If the combustion was too slow, 

 he increased it and kept it up by the same means. "When the 

 operation is concluded the parts are transformed into a black scar, 

 which can be easily removed by scraping, and the application and 

 cauterization may be repeated, and so on until it appears that a 

 sufficient amount of heat has penetrated the tissues to destroy the 

 material by which canker may be regenerated. The cauterization 

 being once properly effected, then in order to sustain irritation, 

 the foot is covered with Burgundy pitch, or resin, melted and 

 warm, which is allowed to cool off on the foot, when a dressing of 

 oakum and the shoe are put on. The dressing is changed as soon 

 as suppuration shows itself and renewed with the same ingredients 

 in the same manner untU the wound becomes healthy and granu- 

 lating. 



It is only for the sake of the record that we refer to the ex- 

 clusively surgical treatment, based upon the erroneous idea that the 

 fici of canker are abnormal products, deeply implanted in the 

 tissues beneath, and where it was advised to look for the imagin- 

 ary roots of these fici at their extreme Umits. In this treatment, 

 not only the diseased horn was removed, but the entire sole, the 

 plantar cushion and often the plantar aponeurosis was excised. 

 This practice, advised by Lafosse junior, was also recommended 

 in the veterinary schools by Chabert in France, and Dieterichs in 

 Germany. It prevailed for a long time, though experience showed 

 that the wound resulting from such an operation was of very slow 

 recovery, that the frog especially could not be regenerated, that 

 there remained a central ulcer, and that it gave rise to such a mal- 

 formation of the foot that the animal remained lame for a long 

 time, sometimes for life. Notwithstanding these objections, ob- 

 served by Jeanne, Girard and Eichbaum, this treatment is stUl 



