443 
THE HORSE’S FOOT. 
about three centimeters, which goes down to the soft tissues of 
the foot, and not beyond them, has for its object to diminish the 
effects of percussion produced by the contact of the foot with the 
ground. It however, does not prevent the edges of the fissure 
from separating, as the groove of Castandet does. It is chiefly 
useful when there is separation of the wall, or false quarter. At 
times a transverse groove has been made to prevent an incomplete 
fissure, starting from the plantar border from spreading to the 
coronary band. According to Hartmann, a single hole drilled 
through the wall is, in these cases, sufficient. 
Shoeing is of much assistance in the hygienic treatment of 
cracks. In toe cracks, the toe should be spared as much as possi¬ 
ble while the heels are lowered by paring, or by the application 
of a shoe thicker at the toe, or by the removal of the calks at 
the heels. While Defays holds that the shoe ought to lie close 
and tight to the plantar regions of the crack, Hartmann, on the 
contrary, advises the paring of that surface at the toe, so that the 
shoe cannot rest on the crack, and recommends the application of 
two clips on each side of the toe. 
In quarter cracks, it is recommended to lower the toe, to save 
the bars and the frog; and when the crack is incomplete, and not 
accompanied with lameness, Defays recommends not to lower the 
diseased quarter, and to have the heels resting well on that branch 
of the shoe, which shall be thick and straight. Sclirebe advises a 
calk on that side. If the crack is deep, with excessive lameness, 
and deep lesions, the quarters and heels must be pared down as 
much as possible, and a bar to be then put on, resting on the 
frog, if need be. An ordinary shoe with a thick branch may be 
sometimes employed. 
As part of the hygieuic treatment, we may consider the means 
recommended to increase the secretion at the coronary band. 
It is known that a slight irritation at that part of the foot is ac¬ 
companied with an increased secretion of hoof, which is some¬ 
times sufficient to give rise to a new growth of healthy horn. 
One of the most common methods is to slightly cauterize the 
coronary band with the iron. This was already known by old 
practitioners, who employed an S cautery’; but they committed 
