THE HORSE’S FOOT. 
155 
It may be said, that on general principles, it is preferable to 
treat hoof-bound by the use of dilating shoes than to resort to the 
bloody operations recommended in earlier times. It is these that 
Brogniey recommended highly for the removal of one or two 
quarters of the wall, with an appropriate dressing. Id. Bouley, 
however, believes that it would be wrong to discard these opera¬ 
tions entirely; he believes that there are conditions where they 
become necessary, and where they furnish better and quicker re¬ 
sults than the others referred to. 
We cannot overlook the treatment recommended by Bar- 
thelemy, which consists in the thinning first with the rasp, then 
with the drawing knife, of the bars, in their whole length, depth 
and thickness; thinning them down to a spring under the pressure 
of the finger. This done, a layer of blister is applied on tbc skin 
of the cuti dura and upon it, in the parts corresponding where 
the hoof has been thinned down ; the application to be renewed 
several times, until the lameness has subsided. This operation is 
followed by an excess of the horny secretion and a marked en¬ 
largement of the hoof, and gives good but slow results. Gross 
has often operated in the same manner, alternating the blister 
with poultices. 
A modus operandi which has also been very satisfactory, is 
the one that was recently made known by Weber, and which con¬ 
sists in the division of the wall at several points, by grooves ex¬ 
tending down to tbe keraphyllous horn, in the direction of the 
fibres of the hoof. Two or three are made, on each side, be¬ 
tween the quarters and the heels, tlie heels at the same time be¬ 
ing pared down, when a bar shoe is put on, which rests on the 
frog, or if that organ is atrophied, pressure upon it is simulated 
by the addition of pieces of leather. Frequently, instead of par¬ 
ing the heels down excessively, and when the frog is atrophied, 
we prefer a slipper after having pared the sole and bars to a 
spring. The method of Weber is not new. It was previously 
known by Lagueriniere, and is mentioned by Buginet and Her¬ 
bert d’Arboval. With it we may slowly but surely achieve suc¬ 
cess, and there are but few feet which are not relieved or cured; 
but the grooves must be renewed from above at each shoeing. 
