THE CURATIVE TREATMENT OF CANKER. 97 
then makes a paste with chloride of lime with very little 
water ; with which paste he covers the entire ulcerous surface, 
and imbues every diseased cavity and crevice to the thickness 
of a couple of lines. After which, to prevent any access of 
moisture, he adds a second coating of unslacked lime, made 
into a paste in the same manner, and then envelopes the 
foot in a leather boot. He inserts setons in the vicinity of 
the diseased part : if a fore foot, in the breast ; if a hind, in 
the thigh ; and he administers to his patient a strong dose 
of physic. Should the ichorous discharge from the foot be 
fresh, he mixes with the lime powdered oak bark, and . 
sprinkles the foot with it after the dressing; finally covering 
the whole with a paste of quick lime before putting on the 
shoe or boot. According to the profusion of the discharge, 
the powder is removed once or twice a day, until at last 
nothing is used but the lime paste, that being repeated daily. 
As soon as the fungous vegetations cease to grow again, and 
the characteristic odour of the disease has disappeared — 
effects commonly observable after a fortnight or three weeks 
of treatment — we are convinced that the destructive action 
of the ichor has ceased, when we may employ a foot-bath of 
slacked lime, such as may be found anywhere. The bath 
should be of the consistence of thick paste ; for, if too liquid, 
it will render the horn too soft, and if too stiff, the feet do not 
penetrate it sufficiently. The foot should stand in it three or 
four hours daily, putting on the boot afterwards. For con- 
venience* sake, the bath may have the form of cataplasm given 
to it. The purgation, during the local treatment, should be 
repeated about every fourth day, or if the treatment be pro- 
tracted, the kidneys may be, alternately with the bowels, 
acted on; for which purpose M. Eichbaum makes use of 
cantharides, in combination with camphor, oil of turpentine, 
and powdered gentian and mallow root. 
“ In this way, M. Eichbaum talks of curing canker in a 
fortnight, while the morbid productions are yet but small. 
But should the knife or caustic have been previously used, so 
as to destroy the podophyllous tissue, six or eight weeks will 
be required. It is only where caries of the periosteum or of 
the bone has taken place, and the hoof begins to part from 
the cutis-dura, and different signs betoken absorption of the 
organism, that the prognostic becomes doubtful. 
“Very recently in the Berlin Veterinary Journal, M. 
Kirchner, veterinary surgeon of the first class in the Prussian 
army, has recommended a plan of treatment from which, he 
says, he has derived the happiest results. I have not yet 
put it to the test, though I may observe here that I find much 
