200 
TREADS. 
the foot in a large poultice, and put the horse into a large box well 
littered with straw. Before'he has been long there he will, in 
all probability, be found in a recumbent position. Let him be 
watched without noise : if possible, let the attendant remain out 
of sight. I have known them lie down for many hours, and 
after they had thus rested, their pulse and breathing had become 
reduced to an extent that would scarcely be credited. The crust 
should be now thinned opposite the inflamed coronary ligament, 
the sole pared till the blood oozes through the horn, and six or 
seven quarts of blood taken from the saphena major or plantar 
veins : the foot should be fomented, and then enveloped in 
another poultice ; purgatives are also to be administered. 
As the parts inflamed are particularly sensitive, great care 
should be taken not to handle the leg roughly, for the slightest 
pressure, even with the finger, will cause excruciating pain. 
If in the course of twelve hours the symptoms have not amended, 
the foot must be re-examined, especially the coronary ligament; 
and if the crust is not sufficiently removed from the inflamed 
parts, it must be now effectually accomplished : the horn having 
been softened by the poultice, its removal can be executed with 
comparative ease. At this juncture, I have seen the ab¬ 
straction of three or four quarts of blood from the vessels of the 
sole to be of immense service,so much so that the animal has, im¬ 
mediately afterwards, thrown a portion of his weight upon the 
injured foot. From the combined actions of the cathartic and 
other remedies, it may generally be calculated that our patient 
will be somewhat relieved ; but if the irritative fever is not 
mitigated, it will be found to depend invariably upon one or 
other of the articulations having participated in the injury, or 
sharing in the inflammation produced by the injury of the con¬ 
tiguous parts. I have found that the substitution of a cold 
poultice, wetted frequently with cold spring water, will now be 
exceedingly serviceable. Two or three days after the accident 
a portion of skin usually detaches itself, and there is left in the 
bottom of the wound a slough composed of ligament or tendon : 
probably in ten days this is thrown off, and, with attention, the 
cavity will soon be filled with granulations; btit if there is a 
discharge of synovia, the greatest possible care must be bestowed. 
I have had many of these cases, and in examining with the probe 
I have distinctly felt the surface of the bones, but only in one 
instance had I exfoliation, and in that I believe it arose from 
fracture. 
The treatment I have usually adopted in such cases, and with 
the most advantage, has been a pledget of tow bandaged firm 
on the orifice, and kept constantly damp with a cold solution 
