AN ESSAY ON CHRONIC PODOTIiOCHOLITlS. 
535 
becomes absolutely necessary to leave the bar shoe on, thus placed, 
for a greater or less period of time, and carefully to watch the 
animal, in order to detect the slightest variations that may become 
observable in the abnormal motions of the diseased limb. In order 
to gain time, and not trust entirely to expectation, the hoof may be 
enveloped in a cataplasm of clay, which is without its use, sup- 
posing even the trochlea of the foot remains unaffected. 
Instead of the bar shoe, a pair of pincers are made use of, having 
bites of unequal length to perform the office of a sound. The pincers 
are fashioned in such a way that one of the bites supports itself 
against the wall, while the other, presenting a surface of half an 
inch in width, perpendicularly compresses the frog at the extremity 
of the cleft, at the point where its sides re-unite. During this 
examination, the fetlock is kept in extension; and from the power 
acting upon the branches of the pincers becoming gradually stronger 
and more continuous, a horse attacked with podotrocholitis experi- 
ences much pain. This mode of examination often proves ineffica- 
cious, notwithstanding the disease is present. Too hard a sole, or a 
hard and contracted frog, are obstacles which prevent the action of 
the pincers being transmitted to the affected part, and in such cases 
the bar shoe is preferable. Sticker has invented an instrument 
to which the name of podometre* has been given : it serves to 
measure the hoof, and the dimensions of the horny box are taken 
as a basis in order to determine the existence of podotrocholitis. 
The instrument answers the first purpose; but it has no diagnostical 
value, for, in general, the diameter of the hoof has undergone no 
alteration in consequence of the disease, and, where it does 
present any contraction, disease of the trochlea is not the primary 
cause of it. 
I shall observe, lastly, that we must not be in too great a hurry 
to diagnosticate podotrocholitis, nor flatter ourselves that we have 
ascertained its existence on a first examination. I cannot suf- 
ficiently recommend caution and circumspection : these qualities 
lucidly distinguish the well-informed veterinarian from the super- 
ficial practitioner, who talks much and reflects but little. 
* Magazin fur die gesammte Thierheilkunde herausgegeben vcn Dr. Gurit 
& Dr. Hertwig, vol. ii, part 1. 
[To be continued.] 
