TRANSLATIONS FROM CONTINENTAL JOURNALS. 313 
be much larger than the other; the animal could bear no 
weight on it. It was also more concave and wider than the 
corresponding foot; it yielded on pressure being made on 
the sole, thus denoting the commencement of disorganization 
of the parts underneath. A wound, extending from the 
middle of the sole to the heel, occupied the place of the 
frog. The softened, disorganized sole had been the seat of 
an extensive wound recently cicatrized. In the middle of it, 
at the point of the frog, there was an opening or fistula, 
which extended into the articulation of the foot, where it 
formed a sort of cavity, into which two other sinuses also 
led. In consequence of the nature of the lesions, an ope¬ 
ration was decided upon, which was performed on the fol¬ 
lowing day. The animal being cast, the whole of the sole 
and the adjacent tissues were removed, thereby laying bare 
the under surface of the articulation of the foot. This 
ablation laid also bare—1st, the above-mentioned fistula and 
the cavity,which, being well laid open, gave issue to a greenish- 
coloured serum mixed with particles of cartilage and bone— 
the production of the lateral cartilages and the caries of 
the navicular bone; 2nd, another fistula following the course 
of the perforator tendon, and forming an opening at the back 
of the heel; 3rdly, a fistula starting from the same point 
as the two former, and taking its course to the outside of 
the foot, passing through the lateral cartilage on the same 
side, and terminating by an opening at the coronet. The 
two first of these fistulae were laid open throughout the 
whole of their extent, and the diseased parts of the bone 
were removed. This first part of the operation was termi¬ 
nated by the application of the actual cautery to the diseased 
parts. In all affections of the feet causing serious lesions 
actual cauterization is indispensable, not only as a supple¬ 
ment to the knife, but as a means of restoring healthy action 
to the tissues. After this the lateral cartilage was removed, 
the modus operandi of which it would be superfluous to 
describe. The large wounds produced by these operations 
were dressed with pledgets often dipped in spirits of wine, 
weakened with water and properly fixed by means of a long- 
bandage, after which the patient was conducted back to the 
stable, and left to the care of the proprietor, with proper 
instruction as to diet, &c. On the 8th of January there was 
great improvement; the mule stood up for a longer time, and 
was able to bear some weight on the diseased foot; the wound 
had a healthy appearance, and the pus was abundant and 
healthy. The cauterized parts were dressed with ointment, 
and the rest with pledgets of dry tow; the diet was ordered 
