THE HORSE’S FOOT. 
241 
the soft tissue at the coronary band first, and successively down¬ 
wards to the inferior border of the wall, as otherwise, as the in¬ 
strument is moved from above downwards, with a certain amount 
of force, it might slip and cause a serious division or laceration of 
the podophyllous tissue. The separation is then made of the 
wall from the sole by another groove, extending from the end of 
the groove already made, on the quarter, back to the heels. This 
is done without difficulty, with a small drawing knife, when the 
foot has been properly prepared. There is, however, one point 
which usually offers more or less resistance when the quarter is 
removed. It is that where the wall is continued to the bars. 
This resistance is sometimes so considerable, that if much trac¬ 
tion is made, the wall will break more or less in front of the 
heels, where it is comparatively thin, and it may consequently be¬ 
come neccessary to remove, by itself, the portion which has re¬ 
mained attached. This little accident, however, can be avoided by 
ascertaining certainly before the extraction of the wall is effected, 
that the continuity of the wall and bars has been cut off. This 
being the case, the complete separation of the wall from the sole 
is made by running the sharp edges of the double sage knife 
through the structure of the living tissue underneath. The re¬ 
traction of the quarter can then be proceeded with. 
For this purpose a properly constructed lever is carefully in¬ 
troduced into the groove before mentioned, at the wall and sole 
of the foot. The inferior and anterior angle of the hoof at this 
point being then carefully raised, an assistant grasps it with the 
nippers, turning it back, tears it slowly, while the surgeon, with 
such a motion of the lever as may be necessary, assists in the 
tearing off of the portion of the quarter requiring removal. If 
adhesions remain, interfering with this manipulation, they are 
removed by cutting with a sharp instrument. As this separation 
of the wall reaches about to the coronary band, the separation is 
very easy, and no fear of lacerating the soft structures need be 
entertained. Care is necessary at this step, however, to avoid 
injuring the coronary band and the podophyllous tissue; to pre¬ 
vent which it will be prudent on the part of the assistant to press 
upon the band as the separation takes place. 
