THE HORSE’S FOOT. 
427 
cording to Lafosse, who recommends to pare the foot down to the 
quick and to put on the shoe again if the animal has to continue 
its journey. 
The topical applications employed are varied and numerous ; 
the simplest and most practical is cold water, cold baths at half 
the leg, taken in running water, if it can be done, and if the 
animal stands up; walking in the water is then recommended, if 
practicable, walking increasing the venous circulation of the part. 
Instead of running water, ponds, marshy grounds, pools of stag¬ 
nant water, or even liquid manure may serve the same purpose. 
In establishments where there are many horses there are special 
tubs where the water is constantly changed. The animal may be 
placed in some of these up to his fetlock in an astringent solution. 
Mathew has invented an apparatus for continued irrigation, con¬ 
sisting of a reservoir of water elevated above the bod} T of the au- 
imal: around each coronet is placed in shape of a bracket, a tube of 
india rubber, perforated with holes opening on the hoof; from 
the reservoir runs a tube which bifurcates and furnishes to each 
leg a descending division connected with the bracket. The water 
is then allowed to run around the coronet and drip over the foot. 
Instead of simple water the use of snow or broken ice has been 
recommended, wrapped in cloth round the hoof ; pads of oakum 
dipped in solution of salt, sulphate of iron, or alum ; clay poul¬ 
tices mixed with vinegar have also been used. As the heat of the 
foot has a tendency to rise, the temperature of the liquid or of the 
i 
topic used must be often changed in order to keep up its an¬ 
tiphlogistic effect. Baths of sulphate of iron are especially in¬ 
dicated in cases of traumatism. 
Irritating frictions used as derivatives are also recommended, 
but their efficacy in this case is at least problematical. Irritation, 
when the congestion is somewhat passive, is not easy to produce. 
However, frictions of the hock with oil of turpentine, by the pain 
they produce stimulating the animal to move and not allowing 
him to remain in a state of almost complete immobility, may be ad¬ 
vantageous. Blisters around the coronet are useful towards the 
third or fourth day, when plastic exudation or hypersecretion of 
the hoof are to be feared. 
Frog seton is recommended by English practitioners; Gabriel 
