AND HIS DISEASES. 



65 



foot is found hot, and as a result of the increased heat, con- 

 traction sets in, the foot becoming dry and brittle. ■ He 

 steps on his toe, and when standing, points his foot, that 

 is, places the foot in front, resting on the toe ; and if both 

 are involved, alternating the feet. Contraction is not an in- 

 variable symptom, as we have seen the disease in wide-spread 

 feet, perfectly free from contraction. 



"^ The best time to examine a horse suspected of being 

 " groggy" is in the morning ; observe ii;^ the stable whether 

 he " points," see if the foot is, contracted, or if the toe of the 

 shoe is worn. On \aJjing -him' out, he stumbles, stubs his 

 toe into the ground. On examining the foot with the shoe 

 off, he winces by pressure in the hollow of the pastern with 

 the thumb. The bars in some cases will b^iscoloured and 

 tender, if tap£ed_wi^.Ahanuaa^_The leg should be stretched 

 forward, and the foot bent upward, to put the tendon on the 

 stretch, when pain will be evinced. 



\ In all cases of long standing, the muscles of the shoulder 

 shrink, and_Ji^is__is_oft£n-aaiataJtfilLJor swea5eyj_Ji^^ 

 i t is di| [grent, beiBg.^_inerely wasting^^oT^he muscles from 

 want of exercise, similar to what occurs inJJie arm of a man. 



such as a blacksmith or chopper, when obliged to sling his 

 arm for a inontETo iTtwo. 



Treatment- — Eest must be given, the shoes removed, 

 the toes cut down, and the sole thinned, the feet being 

 immersed in poultices, or made to stand in clay, till the heat 

 and tenderness subside, whenjbehoUo w of the _pastern_and 

 _coronet_should be bl kbered, o rfrog-setons inserted, and kept 

 in for a month or six weeks. 



Many cases will recover under this treatment, if fairly 

 tried and persevered in. 



Some cases in which we find the bone ulcerated, its sur- 

 face being rough and jagged, irritating the tendon at every 



