492 
LAMENESS IN HORSES. 
foot, to be a comparatively rare occurrence. In my opinion, 
inflammation is first set up in the foot, and then, from the organ 
being thrown out of use, contraction befals the hoof, in certain 
horses ; but not in all, or in all to the same degree. A foot laid 
up out of use, or but as little used as possible — which is the 
case when the horse stands constantly •pointing with it, or by 
going lame bears upon it as lightly as he can in trotting or 
walking — will gradually grow’ contracted ; and this change in it 
will be promoted by the foot being naturally of an oblong shape, 
of strong fibre, of upright make, with high heels, and a frog 
either actually diseased or so shrunk and shrivelled that it has 
no chance even of touching the ground, much less of receiving 
any pressure from it. 
The Treatment of mixed Contraction is altogether a 
different affair from that of pure contraction. Here we have 
lameness and inflammation to deal with, or we have lameness 
with inflammation passing or passed away, dependent upon 
some effects it has left behind it, which is a worse case to deal 
with than the former one. In point of fact, we have a compli- 
cation of navicularthritis, or some one or other of its conse- 
quences, with the contraction ; and for want of this knowledge 
about navicularthritis it was that Coleman erred in his views 
and treatment of contraction. The navicularthritis, i. e., any 
existing inflammation, must be dispersed ; and while we are 
effecting this, the shoe being off the foot altogether, or, at a 
proper period of the treatment, a tip being substituted for it, 
the contraction of the hoof will by degrees give way to the 
return of the natural efforts to bring about original formation. 
It is quite surprising how perpetually in operation these efforts 
are, in spite of the manifold impediments continually opposed 
to them, and how they, to the very last period of time, return 
to restore primitive form, though the restoration of structure be 
impossible. 
My usual Treatment for a case of mixed contraction is 
this : — I first bleed from the toe of the lame foot, repeating the 
operation if requisite. I keep the foot, without shoe, immersed 
in cold poultices, until by the bleeding and them together I have 
brought about a manifest decline of the inflammatory action. I 
then put a tip upon the lame foot, and blister the pastern, and 
often the fetlock as well, with it. When the blister is worked off 
the horse is turned into some situation — either a marshy pasture 
or a mucky strawyard, or some shed where his foot or feet can 
be kept for a few hours daily in a bed of clay, care being 
taken, while he remains turned out, that the tip be removed 
every three or four weeks, or, should he have cast and lost his 
