The Extremities 309 



Traumatic Division of Tendons. This accident sometimes 

 takes place through the legs coming in contact with a mowing ma- 

 chine in the ha3rfield. 



Treatment. The same treatment is indicated as is described 

 above. 



Wounds. Various wounds are received in the feet, among 

 which may be mentioned cuts, pricks, crushing, burns, frost-bites, 

 etc. Sometimes the pads become worn to excess by traveling over 

 rough roads. The gravity of wounds depends upon their nature, 

 extent, and presence or absence of foreign bodies. 



Symptoms and Diagnosis. In most lesions of the feet the pre- 

 vailing symptom is lameness with a tendency to rest the injured foot 

 by raising it, or, if both feet are affected, an assumption of the 

 recumbent position. This being observed, it only remains to make 

 a careful differential diagnosis. The practitioner must particularly 

 distinguish between traumatisms and interdigital eczema, a trouble 

 which is very common and which is usually mistaken for an injury 

 by the laity. Worn pads are recognized by the animal constantly 

 licking them. Fractured digital bones are often productive of fistula. 



Treatment. The first step is to examine carefully for the 

 presence of foreign bodies, including fragments of digital bone, and 

 if such are found to promptly remove them. The foot should then 

 be thoroughly cleansed by irrigation with, or soaking well in, 

 moderately hot water. If the injury is confined to one foot, the 

 rest may be left to Nature, the healing process being closely watched, 

 but the animal should be confined on a clean wooden or concrete 

 floor. But if there should have been any considerable loss of tissue 

 on the plantar surface of both feet, thereby causing the animal great 

 pain during locomotion, protection should be afforded to the parts 

 in the following manner : Some antiseptic powder is freely sprinkled 

 over the plantar surface, a strip of gauze is placed over this, a pad 

 of absorbent cotton over the latter, and over all a boot constructed 

 of stout linen or thin leather. The dressing should be changed 

 twice daily. In all cases of this nature absolute rest is to be en- 

 forced. It requires about two weeks for the epithelium of worn 

 pads to become regenerated. 



Fracture of the Nail. This is a quite common accident and 

 may be partial with the nail only slightly disturbed in its matrix, 

 or complete, when it is either suspended from its matrix or entirely 



