434 
ON CORONITIS. 
by the nails; and, of all other methods, that which has been so much 
in vogue of late years — the French system of coarse nailing, as ap- 
plied to the large majority of feet — is the most certain means I am 
acquainted with of producing the disease. The reasons for this are 
too long to enter upon here, but I hope to be able to shew that I 
am correct at some other time. 
Another frequent cause is general fever, which is to be looked 
for when the animal has been worked hard during the state of de- 
ranged health that is pre-existing, but still latent, and only waiting 
for an exciting cause to fix upon some locality in which it may be- 
come concentrated. Thus, I have known coronitis precede an attack 
of indigestion, of congestion of the lungs, or of general fever, and 
which has continued until the more important organs have become 
affected, when the coronitis has subsided ; and I have noted a few 
instances in which coronitis has again appeared after the subsidence 
of the greater disease. It is to these latter forms that the great 
number of cases that have occurred during the last few years, 
and which constitute part and parcel of the epidemical fever so 
prevalent, must be referred. I have met with many instances of 
this kind, that have been of the most severe character, continu- 
ing for many weeks without yielding in appearance to any kind of 
treatment, but at last subsiding without leaving hardly a trace of 
so severe an attack, the animal becoming as useful as before ; or the 
only traces being a slight ringy appearance of hoof, but which 
time and more perfect recovery from the general fever have dimi- 
nished. 
From whatever cause the disease may arise, it will assume either 
the sub-acute, acute , or chronic form. The first two will depend in 
great measure upon the intensity of the exciting cause; the chronic 
is merely the long continuance of either the sub-acute or the acute 
forms : it will thus be the sub-acute chronic or acute chronic. Some 
of the causes are more disposed to produce the sub-acute than the 
acute ; but this will be greatly regulated in all cases by the inten- 
sity of such cause. 
The TREATMENT is generally simple, and consists in removing 
the existing cause when practicable, and, if still existing, by re- 
storing the affected parts to their normal state by poultices — by 
swabs kept wet either with hot or cold water, the injurious effects 
of the water being regulated by the application of unguents or 
emollients, those composed of tar, and more especially the Barba- 
does naphtha, being the best — by stopping the feet. If the in- 
flammatory state is considerable, abstract blood from the toe : it is 
not desirable to bleed from the pastern veins in this disease. A pply 
blisters over the coronet. Occasionally, in the more severe chronic 
form, benefit will be found from a seton through the frog, and in a 
