LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 45 
Grease. 
This disorder is seen principally in the horse tribe, and most 
frequently in the hind legs. This arises, I am inclined to think, 
from their being a long way from the centre of circulation, and 
being exposed to exciting causes, as being left wet and dirty, stand¬ 
ing in dung, and exposed to draughts. It is an inflammation, in the 
first place, of the sebaceous follicles, bringing about an increased and 
altered secretion. It is most frequently seen in gummy-legged cart¬ 
horses. The better bred an animal| is, the less his liability to this 
affection. There are cases that are brought on by direct exposure 
to cold, as taking out an animal newly clipped on a wet day in win¬ 
ter, and allowing it to stand for a length of time. There are some 
animals predisposed to this disorder, and it will be brought on in 
dieir case by feeding on new soft corn and by their not having a 
sufficiency of exercise, and in some from living on too stimulating 
food, as a large and frequent supply of beans. 
Symptoms .—The heels become swollen; the animal walks with 
difficulty, evinces pain on pressure; the hair is erect; after he is 
made to move he walks better. We soon have a discharge of an 
oleaginous foetid matter; we next get fungoid growths, very red and 
painful on pressure. We do not get much discharge from these 
growths, but from between them. They are called grapes, from 
their similarity in appearance to that fruit. 
With reference to cure, we must pay attention to cause. In the 
simple form we must get rid of the inflammation through the con¬ 
stitution, also using local means. If traceable to plethora,^ bleed 
and give a dose of physic, followed up by diuretics and alteratives; 
if arising from the opposite cause, give diuretics and tonics. The 
local treatment should be poultices in the inflammatory stage, 
followed by applications of astringents, as alum, zinc, &c. In 
chronic cases we have to resort to more severe measures—the use of 
the knife, cautery, and the applications of escharotics. I use a 
saturated solution of sulphate of copper, and find it to answer well. I 
have heard of the disease being treated by blister with success, but, 
never having tried it, I cannot speak with confidence. 
I will now treat of cracked heel. This is said to be the true chilblain 
of the horse, occurring in the autumn and winter. You will find the 
animal stiff* in moving, and the heel sore on pressure; in a very 
short time you will find a crack, and in a few days you will have a 
slough come away. In the treatment of this affection care should 
be taken not to commence the use of astringents too early; if we 
do we shall have a greater amount of imflammation set up, and, 
instead of our patient getting better, he will be a great deal worse. 
Apply poultices, digestives, and moderate stimulants, to keep the 
granulations down and cause the part to heal. 
Cracked Heel 
occurs either in winter or summer, and is as often seen in well-bred 
as in badly-bred animals. Race-horses are often the subject of it, 
produced from high feeding and galloping on hard ground. The 
