82 WEST OF ENGLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
part of the day they are not working. When they become too lame 
to work perform the operation of neurotomy, and unless this is 
done properly it will be only a disappointment. Prepare the 
horse by keeping him oil low diet for several days, at the same 
time keeping the leg well bathed with cold water ; the night before 
operating give a mild dose of physic, and for an hour before operat- 
ing apply the cold water douche. When the leg is well prepared, 
the operation can be much quicker and better performed, as there 
is not the amount of bleeding. One of the frequent causes of the 
failure of the operation arises from the small portion of nerve taken 
out. If a leg is not well prepared, and only about half an inch 
of nerve taken out, the probability is, that there will be a large 
amount of inflammation set up in the leg, in which the nerves will 
participate. Nerve matter will be thrown out, and the divided 
ends again united within two months. I have seen many such 
cases. I advise that not less than an inch and a half of the nerve 
be taken out, after which, sew up the wound with three or four 
stitches of fine iron wire, apply to the wound immediately a carbolic 
dressing of the strength of 1 — 20, and repeat it daily for a few days, 
as it tends to promote the healing of the wound by the adhesive 
process ; cold water applications are also beneficial. In all 
stages of navicular disease, shoe with leather soles ; and if the 
horse picks his toes into the ground, which is very commonly 
the case, turn up the toes of the shoes, which is commonly termed 
Frenching. 
The discussion was commenced by Mr. Greaves , who said they 
were all indebted to the President for his very interesting paper 
on one of the most important diseases in connection with their daily 
duties. Mr. Broad was also entitled to the thanks of the profes- 
sion for the paper he read last year, on another disease of the foot, 
“ Laminitis,” for which the treatment was entirely new and success- 
ful. Mr. Broad had given them new ideas on three of the most 
important diseases of the foot of the horse. He (the Speaker) 
thought veterinary surgeons could not learn too much of their 
profession, for it was generally found that those who studied the 
science closely were the most successful practitioners. Mr. Broad’s 
paper was a step in the right direction, though he was sorry to 
see that it was necessary that he should be president and essayist. 
With respect to the disease, he had arrived at the same opinions as 
the President, though for some time he had doubted whether the 
disease could be cured, and he thought that Mr. Broad, in affirming 
that it could, had taken a most courageous step. He (the speaker) 
thought that “navicular” disease, was, in many instances, heredi- 
tary, but that it could be cured when ulceration had taken place 
was a novel idea. 
The President said that the process of the disease was very slow, 
and he pointed out the advantages of adopting the cold bath treat- 
ment. The paper was entirely liis own, founded on the specimens 
before him and his experience. 
Mr. Broad, jun., did not place implicit reliance in the theory ol 
