TREATMENT OF NAVICULARTHR1TIS. 
605 
observed, from simply leaving off the shoe, and putting the foot into 
a warm bath, and afterwards a hot poultice, will the lameness very 
commonly subside. The stability of such a cure, however, not 
being reliable upon, this simple treatment may either be from the 
first rejected on the score of its inefficiency, and such as I am now 
describing — bleeding and sweating — adopted in its stead ; or, this 
latter treatment may be kept back in reserve for the relapse, which 
is but with too much reason to be apprehended as the conse- 
quence of severe work, even here. For the single blood-letting 
and sweating blister still fall short of what is practicable for the 
permanent relief of the case, and still occupy less time, and be 
attended with less temporary blemish, than the most severe form 
of treatment. 
Supposing a horse lame from navicularthritis brought for treat- 
ment — as such cases usually are in private practice — so long after 
the first shew of lameness that it is evident warm baths and poul- 
tices are put altogether out of the question, the point then will turn 
on the expediency of submitting the animal to this single blood- 
letting and sweating blistering in preference to laying him up for 
so much greater length of time, as an extreme plan of treatment 
would necessarily demand. It may make a difference of a month 
or six weeks, and such often becomes a considerable objection. In 
such a case, after the wound is sufficiently healed to admit of a tip 
being nailed on — care being taken that any festering that may have 
been engendered is at an end, and replaced by granulative action — 
a sweating blister should be applied upon the pastern and coronet ; 
the best application we can use being, in my opinion, the aceturn 
cantharidum. To produce this desired effect nothing more is 
required than to paint — if I may make use of the expression — the 
hair of the pastern and coronet, in the direction it grows in, with a 
small painter’s brush, taking care that the strokes of the brush are 
repeated frequently enough to wet the hair thoroughly with the 
liquid. The horse is then to be fastened short up so that he can- 
not lie down ; and four and twenty hours after the application of the 
blister, supposing it to have taken due effect — which by this time 
it will if it produce any effect at all — the hair which has become 
ruffled and matted together by the discharge from the blister should 
be sponged well with warm water, the object being to preserve the 
skin from any subsequent stimulation from the blister in the acridity 
of the discharge caused by it, and thus to preserve the hair. Should 
insufficient effect appear to have been produced, it may be advis- 
able, on the second or third day afterwards, to apply a little more 
of the acetum ; though extreme caution will be needed in so doing, 
having rarely made the experiment myself without, in the end, hav- 
ing had reason to repent, on account of the hair coming off. I would 
