CONTRACTION THE EFFECT OF DISEASE. 
413 
on the part on account of the pain. I performed the operation of 
neurotomy above the fetlock, and she was immediately free from 
lameness, and hunted the tw'O last seasons, and the shape of her 
foot is much improved. 
I have also known a horse’s foot punctured through to the na¬ 
vicular joint, and a chronic disease set up, contraction following. 
Another thing proves that contraction is not a disease or cause 
of pain, that is, dividing the nerves of contracted feet below the 
fetlocks. We find that this removes the lameness; but were 
pressure of the hoof the cause of pain, it would not have this 
effect, because those parts which are contracted receive most 
of their feeling by means of the nervous branch given off at the 
fetlock,and which goes to supply the parts in the neighbourhood of 
the lateral cartilage: consequently, by dividing the nerve below the 
fetlock, the feeling of the contracted portion is only partly taken 
off: but the intero-posterior part of the foot is deprived of its 
feeling, and I think this is where the primary disease generally is. 
I have unnerved a great many contracted feet below the fetlock, 
and all with a good effect. 
Tn the country the smiths are blamed for contracting the feet 
by bad shoeing, but I blame the rider and driver in nine cases 
out of ten. 
The thrush is another disease often present in contracted feet, 
caused by the navicular or some other internal disease. If I 
have a horse brought to me with the thrush, I always look for 
some other disease, thinking that it is the inflammatory heat and 
lack of pressure that destroys the healthy secretion of the horny 
frog. It might sometimes be produced by filth, but very seldom. 
As to horses with light fore quarters, we certainly do find 
more of them with contracted feet than any other; and the reason 
is this,—the bones and tendons are long in proportion to their 
size and strength, and they are generally the most high-spirited 
animals ; consequently the power of leverage, backed by spirit, 
is too strong for the natural substance of such horses, and some 
parts must give way. We also find this kind of horse strained 
more in his fetlocks and back tendons;—in fact, if hardly worked, 
he is always giving way somewhere, and the most likely places to 
go first are the fetlock and navicular joints. 
As for treatment in these cases I shall say but little about it 
now. We are taught to give contracted feet pressure on the 
heels, but I think we ought to endeavour to cure the internal 
disease of the foot first. 
1 ought to have mentioned Mr. Turner’s name as the discoverer 
of the nature and cause of the navicular disease. A most valua¬ 
ble discovery it was to the veterinary practitioner. 
VOT.. XI. 3 I 
