68 NORTH OF ENGLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
which we, as veterinary surgeons, have to contend. The foot of the 
horse is made up of an internal vital portion enclosed in horny struc¬ 
ture, and it is on this account that the difficulty arises. Inside a 
horny box we have highly organised structures, so that anything which 
perforates this box and injures ever so slightly the vital structures it 
contains often produces results the most serious. I purpose first calling 
your attention to injuries to the coronet; these may arise from various 
causes, the most frequent are treads, over-reach, and in collieries and 
on railways from the wheel of a truck or tub running over the coronet, 
and in the hind feet, in some instances, from striking the coronet 
against the sleepers, and in others from the habit acquired by many 
ponies and horses of sliding down the inclines. In this manner the 
the coronet or a portion of the hoof is often scrubbed, and sometimes 
cut completely through by a jagged nail. Another cause of injury is by 
the foot getting fast between the crossings or switches, the animal being 
thrown violently down, causing bruise to the coronet, and occasionally 
fracture of the os suffraginis or coronal process of os pedis. Secondly, 
injuries produced by pricks in shoeing, by nails, wire, or other sharp 
substances being trod upon and perforating the sole, and by bad 
shoeing, producing corns. 
A tread is a contused wound on the inside of either hind foot caused 
by one foot being brought forcibly upon the coronet of its fellow. 
Over-reach is a blow upon the heel of the coronet, produced by the 
hind foot over-reaching the fore foot of the same side. These injuries 
may be more or less serious ; in the majority of instances simple bruise 
and abrasion of the skin of the coronet is all we have to contend 
with. In these cases the treatment I should adopt would be to remove 
with the scissors any skin that may be detached; cleanse the wound, and 
apply the following lotion:—1^ Tr. Myrrh, c. ^ij, Sol. Zinc. Sulph. ad 
B vii j-. 
This treatment, with a day or two’s rest, will generally be found 
sufficient. In other cases a great amount of inflammation is induced in 
the parts by the force of the blow, often causing suppuration. Pus 
forms, which burrows downwards through the soft structures contained 
within the hoof, producing quittor ; or when the injury happens to be in 
front of the coronet open joint may be the result ; or the skin of the 
coronet may already be in a diseased condition, the animal suffering 
from cracked or even greasy heels. The local irritation from this cause 
induces the animal to scratch and stamp upon the itching coronet, and 
being shod, as most cart horses are, with high calkens to the shoes, the 
probability is that serious injury to the coronet is the result. I cannot 
better illustrate this than by relating to you the history of a case of the 
kind which has lately come under my notice. 
The subject was a grey wagon horse, five years old, seventeen hands 
high. My attention was called to him by the driver informing me that 
the horse was continually stamping in the stable, and that there was a 
discharge from both coronets. On examining them narrowly I found 
that there was an eruption of a carbuncular nature, some of which had 
burst and were discharging copiously ; others had not yet come to 
maturity. I ordered the mixed feed (which consisted of maize, peas, 
oats, and chopped hay) to be taken from him, and gave soft food and 
a dose of aperient medicine, and after cleansing the wounds had them 
dressed with carbolic liniment, at the same time left instructions for 
the shoes, which had very high calkens, to be removed. This, unfortu¬ 
nately, was not at once carried out, and during the day the animal 
struck the off coronet with such force with one of the calkens of the 
