NAVICULAR DISEASE.

Nearly every kind of foot lameness is laid to the charge of this disease. Some men adopt the only safe decision of "foot lameness," while others, less wise and prudent, presumptuously and dogmatically adopt navicular disease,' as if it were the only disease known to affect the foot of the horse.

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It consists in:-first, inflammation of the synovial capsule of the navicular joint, resulting from inflammation of the perforans tendon, which passes under the navicular, and is attached to the pedal bone. It is met with in the very best and strongest-looking feet, and the degree of lameness occasioned by it is very variable. When ulceration occurs the synovial capsule is absorbed, and the tendon comes into contact with the bone. The horse will usually rest the affected foot when standing at his ease. He will be much more lame on leaving than on returning to the stable, the friction of the parts giving rise to a temporary secretion of synovia. When the disease is at all advanced, all treatment will be hopeless; but, in the early stages of the disease, bleeding at the toe, followed by emollient poultices, will be found beneficial, when combined with rest in a roomy and cool box, well littered with fresh The insertion of setons through the elastic frog, as well as neurotomy, used to be more in vogue than at present. This disease is easily distinguished from laminitis by the horse walking' perfectly sound.

tan.

A hunter or steeplechaser affected with this disease

need not be despaired of, as they will go over soft ground perfectly well and soundly. Only they should be ridden to and from cover at a pace not exceeding a walk. Indeed, on a road, no horse affected with navicular disease should be ridden at a greater speed than a walk, since more or less pain will be occasioned by the concussion.

FOUNDER, FEVER IN THE FEET, OR LAMINITIS.

This disease consists in inflammation of the lamina and its adjacent parts of the foot. It is caused by continued exertion on hard ground, straining the crust beyond its powers; but the most frequent cause is an injury to the knee or shoulder of the horse, on account of which he is fearful of lying down, and thus the continuance of an upright position causes too severe a strain of the sensitive laminæ. In this case a lengthened rest after the cause has subsided, on puddled clay during the daytime, with a plentiful litter at night, will be absolutely necessary to effect a permanent cure. But where the horse is in training and has to continue his work, his feet should be placed into two buckets of cool water after coming in from exercise, and allowed to remain there so long as the horse feels disposed to maintain the same position. I have more than once seen horses neigh for the buckets and place their feet hurriedly into them of their own accord immediately they were placed before them. The softening of the hoof by water, thereby causing increased pliability of the

crust, diminishes the pain occasioned by the want of room for the expansion of the blood-vessels consequent on inflammation. The symptoms will be marked by the horse standing with his hind legs in a much more forward position than usual, for the purpose of relieving his fore feet of their proper proportion of weight. If the foot be felt it will be discovered to have an unusual degree of heat, and if pressed or squeezed by a pair of pincers an unusual flinching will be perceptible. On running him out, the weight will be thrown principally on the heels a marked contrast to the symptoms of navicular disease, in which the toes are almost the only parts of the feet placed on the ground when the horse trots. Bleeding is certainly not advisable where the inflammation is not very acute; since it weakens the foot so much that it will be unfit for hard work for many weeks afterwards.

The food should consist of bran mashes and a little hay; and, although a violent purge should be avoided when the inflammation runs very high, laxatives should be freely administered; the best dose being two drachms of emetic tartar and half an ounce of nitre, given every day for a week. In severe and long-continued cases of this disease, the coffin bone becomes separated from its attachments and is forced downwards by being unable to withstand the weight, after being deprived of its proper support, and leads to convexity of the sole, which I will consider under the head of

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Pumiced feet consist in a convex growth of the soles, and are sometimes attended with great flinching' or lameness as the horse receives any pressure on the sole. No treatment is of any avail save and except some mechanical contrivance. The object in view must be that of removing as much pressure as possible from the sole. To effect this let the shoes be wrought with a concave seat; ' i.e. with two thirds of the inner portion of the shoe bevelled off to prevent pressure on the sole. Thus the shoes can be made thicker or deeper than usual without increasing the weight very materially, which will still more elevate the sole. Then let a strong piece of leather be placed over the sole and nailed on with the shoe very carefully; because the crust of the hoof in such cases is always very weak and brittle. This done, let the foot be stuffed with tow, smeared with tar and oil of turpentine, to stimulate the secretion of horn.

CHAPTER X.

ACCIDENTS.

WOUNDS FROM STUBS, STAKES, ETC.

In all cases of wounds from stubs, stakes, iron or wooden spikes, and other materials with blunt edges, laceration of membranes, blood-vessels, &c., must take place; and, therefore, the object must be to avoid an immediate closing or healing of the lips of the wound, or, as it is termed, union by first intention.'

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In all cases of lacerated or torn vessels, suppuration is unavoidable; but because it is unavoidable it is not altogether desirable that it should be promoted, because it may assume dimensions at once unnecessary and dangerous.

If the wound be larger than a free egress for the hæmorrhage seems to warrant, one or two sutures or stitches should be made in the wound. The use of sutures is especially desirable where the skin is torn back in large flaps, as is often the case in wounds under the chest and abdomen; for which the interrupted suture or single stitch tied is the most convenient method; since, if the aperture of the wound be not large enough, it may be enlarged by cutting one of the stitches, without in any way disturbing the