566 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
warned us of leeches ” and their destructive qualities, and ex¬ 
patiated on their properties and habits. Well, as Mark Twain 
or some other fellow once remarked, “ Where ignorance is 
bliss, etc. etc. We simply smiled at his “ gag,” and, althoimh 
e appeared at varying intervals of time and at numerous plaices 
fu u!i m “dead straight,” we always gave him 
e deadly gleam. ’ There came a day, however, when the 
wagon master reported several cases of “rope burn” and 
cracked heels ” in the train from the animals getting over 
halters, etc. He was given the same old “ dope ” to be applied 
A. M. and p. M but its efficacy had fled, its magic had vanished 
and when he of the wagon train came once more to say he had 
several more cases, and that the old ones were getting worse we 
investigated, and, in the language of the classics, discovered 
that we were up against it.” 
Here’s a typical case: Monday night, O. K.; worked all 
day and ate Tuesday morning, “oft' feed,” very lame in hind 
or fore foot; puts only point of toe on ground; fetlock evi¬ 
dently inflamed, hot and sensitive to touch ; looks like rope 
burn but no abrasion. Wednesday, still “off feed,” nnmeroiis 
small points or vesicles observed around the fetlock, between 
e coronary band and first phalangeal articulation, vesicles 
large in the region above heels, looks as if they had a depres¬ 
sion in_ centre, caused by the tissue being eaten away. Tliurs- 
ay, animal bi^ins to feed again, inflammation subsiding, and 
pus forming Friday, a piece of dermis from the size of a dollar 
sloughs away, and becomes 
detached, exposing uiiderneath a partly raw, ragged, foul-smell¬ 
ing ulcer. Saturday, discharge of foul-smelling pus, numerous 
soft granulations and an apparent separation of the heels from 
the toot. Saturday, enlargement of coronary band, entirely 
around in some cases, a detachment of the hoof from foot im¬ 
mediately below band, in some cases the separation is com- 
p ete, and when foot is placed upon ground it conveys to the 
the sound produced by one walking barefooted in loose 
shoes filled with water; little pain present at this stage. Sun¬ 
day, hoof conies off entirely in many cases, or if detachment is 
ot complete tissues become dry and separative process is estab- 
shed. In a few severe cases sloughing of foot at second phalan- 
geal articulation, and animal has to be destroyed immediately. 
tual cautery, bandages, perfect rest, laxatives, nitrate of silver 
solution, and close attention to details. When reparative pro- 
