which, as far as is practicable, it is generally the best practice to lay open into the great cavity. A great variety of dressings have been recommended to our notice, and the truth is, that, taking them altogether, they may prove serviceable or unserviceable, according to the nature of the case and the discretionary judgment of the employer of them. Caustic dressings are mostly required in the first instance, and should be persevered in until the parts assume a healthful appearance, and the matter discharged is considered what is called "laudable" pus. When any dead bone or gristly or sinewy materials remain to come away, the nitric acid lotion will be found most proper. As a caustic, we have used powdered arsenic with great advantage. A mixture of blue vitriol and sulphuric acid, made into a paste, is also occasionally useful. Whenever healthy action is established, oily or greasy applications are to be preferred, and the simpler they are the better: alum or citrine ointment, or a turpentine unguent, or even simple oint ment. FISTULA. Properly speaking, this is the surgical term for a long, narrow, winding sinus or pipe, in any situation or part of the body; but it has, somehow or other, got to mean, in common colloquy, a disease seated in the withers, of precisely the same nature as poll-evil;-consisting of a tumour, or (should that have broken) of an open sore upon, or rather at the side of the withers. In fact, poll-evil and fistula are so identical in their nature, only that one is caused by the head-collar, while the other originates in the pressure of the saddle, or else the harness-collar, that it will be unnecessary for us to say more on the subject. We shall, therefore, now proceed to an account of the several local diseases connected with lame ness. SHOULDER LAMENESS.-It by no means unfrequently happens that horses, either in consequence of a misstep, or some twist or outstretch in action, sprain their shoulders, mostly one; occasionally, but rarely, both: the latter occurrence we have witnessed in horses practised much in riding schools. The peculiar gait of the animal-the dragging of the toe, and the circuitous fling he gives the affected limb in action (confirmed by the absense of any other visible cause for the lameness) are here our only guides; nothing is to be seen or felt about the shoulder; the injury is too deeply seated to show itself by any external signs. The remedies proper, are, to draw blood from the plate vein; to foment the point of the shoulder; and afterwards apply a mixture-of sal ammoniac one oz.; vinegar and spirits of wine, of each, six ounces; water, twelve ounces. Should this, combined with a state of rest during the time, fail to relieve within the space of a week or ten days, the whole surface around the point of the shoulder must be blistered with an infusion of cantharides (without removing the hair). CLAP IN THE BACK SINEWS, means a strain of the flexor tendons of the leg. It may, and sometimes does in hunters and racers, take place behind; but its common seat is one of the fore legs. The true nature of an ordinary strain is nothing more than VOL. XVIII.-PART I. a violent stretch, attended probably with laceration of the cellular tissue connecting the tendons together, and to the other parts in their immediate vicinity. In violent sprains of the tendons themselves, it is possible that some of their own fibres may be torn or overstretched; but that the tendons are ever torn asunder, as the phrase "broken down," (which is commonly applied to a violent accident of this description) would seem to denote, is not correct: they are much too strong in texture to admit of it in such a case as the present. The accident is at once discovered to us by the swelling, heat, and tenderness of the leg, and more particularly of the posterior part of it; and also by the excessive lameness which attends it while recent. In setting about the treatment of this affection, our first object should be, to subdue the existing inflammation: which is best accomplished by drawing blood from the plate vein, by continual fomentation, by a cold lotion and bandage around the leg, and by giving a dose of physic, and keeping the animal on mash diet. What is of much consequence, also, is having a shoe put on with raised. or high heels, in lieu of the one which the horse has on at the time. When the inflammation is on the decline, the cold bath should be substituted for the fomentations; and the bandage applied more tightly round the leg. Should any swelling or thickening remain after the subsidence of the inflammation, sal ammoniac, spirits of wine, and vinegar, mixed, should be rubbed on the leg, still using the bandage as before. After continuing this for a few weeks, should there still remain any thickening it may be desirable to get rid of, the leg may be blistered, and subsequently fired. SPAVIN. This affection consists of a small bony tumour growing out from the inner and lower part of the joint of the hock. It is a malady of everyday occurrence; and yet one that is frequently overlooked. For in the situation in which it occurs, there is naturally a projection; and oftentimes great discrimination is required, combined with an experienced eye and hand, to decide whether there really is preternatural fulness of the part or not. A spavin will, in some instances, occasion exceeding tenderness and lameness; in others it will not in the least affect the natural action of the animal: all which depends on its situation, whether it interferes or not with the motion of the joint, as also on the presence of disease or not in the interior of the joint. The While recent, cases of spavin admit sometimes of cure, at other times only of relief; but when once the disease has, from time, become established, we shall rarely succeed in the treatment of it; or, at least, to confer any permanent benefit. remedies for a recent spavin are-bleeding from the thigh vein, and blistering the tumour, followed by a state of rest. Cases of long duration may be fired and blistered, or they may be setoned; but either is seldom performed with any permanent benefit. BLOOD-SPAVIN is a soft fluctuating tumour, absurdly so called, simply because it occupies nearly the same situation as the true or bone spavin. In 2 M* fact, it is not a disease at all: it is simply a dilatation of the vein as it crosses the inner and inferior part of the hock, occasioned by the formation of a windgall underneath it, just above the dilated part. It is not attended with the slightest inconvenience to the animal, and therefore it would be folly to interfere with it. WINDGALLS are dropsical enlargements of little membranous bags called bursæ mucosæ. They are incorrectly named; for in place of air, they contain a fluid very similar to water. They have various situations in the body: we most commonly find them in the hock and fetlock joints. They owe their origin to hard work: the repeated stretching and straining of the joints in violent exercises, such as hunting and racing, occasions these bags to be filled with fluid; under the pressure of which they gradually yield until they acquire, in some instances, considerable magnitude. They seem to be productive of no pain; and consequently are not attended with lameness. From the circumstance of their being, especially when very large, regarded as eyesores, we are often called on to disperse them. And with this view, we may use in succession, bandages, discutient lotions, and, finally, blisters: or the joint may, if required, be fired. The practices of puncturing the swellings, or introducing any sort of caustic into them, are to be reprobated as highly dangerous, not only to the limb, but even to the life of the animal, in consequence of the pain and irritation which they are certain to create; and more particularly in regard to windgalls of large size or long duration; for they very frequently communicate with the cavity of the joint with which they are connected. Bog-spavins and Thorough-pins are nothing more than windgalls upon or through the hock; precisely of the same nature as, only differing in situation from, windgall upon the fetlock. CURB is a solid, firm, ill-defined tumour, situated upon the posterior part of the hock, about three inches below, but in a direct line with its point. It is most perceptible on a lateral view, being then recognised by a convexity or prominent deviation from the natural straightness of the posterior outline of the limb. Recent curbs, especially such as have made their appearance suddenly, are hot and tender to the feel, and are attended with considerable lameness; but it is quite otherwise with old and callous curbs; all inflammation having left them, they produce no lameness or pain on press ure whatever; and the horse continues his work with as much apparent facility as if they did not exist. Curbs are induced by extraordinary or violent action, and are more likely to result in young horses, in which the hocks have not arrived at their perfect formation and strength. Horses that have sickle-hocks (by which is meant bowed hind legs) are more disposed to throw out curbs; whence such hocks have also got the epithet of curby. In undertaking the cure of a curb, our first consideration ought to be to abstract the inflammation from it; the second, to disperse the tumefaction. Drawing blood from the thigh-vein; hot fomentations, and discutient lotions, aided by a little open ing medicine, will effect the former; but the latter can only be accomplished by a repetition of blisters, or by a charge; and in either case the animal should be turned out for six or eight weeks. Should lameness relapse from an old curb (which every now and then it will do), after the inflammation is subdued, the part should be fired. SPLINT is a hard knot or small osseous tumour upon the side of the cannon; commonly the inner side. In technical language, and in allusion to its veritable nature, a splint is an ossification of the gristly substance uniting the small to the large metacarpal bone; for we seldom see a splint in the hind leg. And yet so common are splints, that we will venture to affirm, that ninety horses out of a hundred that have completed their sixth year, have them in one or other leg. In fact, after a certain period of life, the change which we regard here in the light of disease, appears to be natural, inasmuch as it seems necessary to give additional strength to the parts. This fact (of splints being almost invariably present), connected with the equally notorious one of their rarely or never occasioning lameness, or even inconvenience, have rendered them to be regarded with comparative insignificance: they would seem to be no longer looked upon as constituting unsoundness, unless accompanied with lameness; and very justly and reasonably are so considered; for, if it were otherwise, as we have just observed, we should hardly know where to find a sound horse. Should it be required to treat a splint, either on account of its magnitude, or any inflammatory action going on in it, nothing proves so effectual as a repetition of blisters; they, however, should consist of the strongest ointment of cantharides, and the hair should be closely shorn off the part prior to their application. GREASE. A nasty name for a nasty disorder, consisting in an undue issue of a peculiar, greasy, offensive matter, from the hollow part we denominate the heel. There is, in a state of health, a continual oozing from this part, of a secretion of a ceruminous nature, which serves to lubricate it, and facilitate flexion and extension (the same as is the case in the arm-pit of a man), and it is in consequence either of the filthy condition of the part, or an attack of inflammation in it, that this secretion becomes altered in quality, or quantity, or both: in which consists grease. The most common cause, of all others, of this disorder, is the practice of washing or wetting the heels, and allowing them to get dry spontaneously: this, in cold weather in particular, by the evaporation it creates, leaves the heels in a state of coldness; in which condition they are, like all other, and even more than most other parts, susceptible of inflammation, which is almost certain to come on with the return of heat or warmth to them. The inflammation gives rise to the augmented issue; its continuance alters its nature; the matter collects and incrusts about the heels, rapidly grows putrid, and thus becomes the source of a stinking, loathsome effluvia. The disease may be confined to the hollow of the heel, or it may extend up the back of the leg, even as high as the hock. In the first stages, it consists simply in altered action of the secreting parts-in an issue unnatural in quantity and quality; but gradually, in the advanced stages, the skin itself, from which the discharge comes, undergoes a change; its surface becomes pimply and exceeding tender to the touch, and ultimately little irregular pustulous eminences arise from it, to which, on account of their form, farriers have given the appellation of grapes; in such a manner that, in the fully formed state of these excrescences, the leg (to use rather a happy comparison of Sainbel's) altogether resembles "the outward coat of a pine-apple." In the first instance, but little soreness is manifested; but, as the disease spreads, and particularly whenever the leg becomes much swollen, the pain on motion appears to be intense; for the horse will catch up the diseased limb, and hobble along upon the three others, rather than bear the smallest weight upon it. The treatment will be simple, or more or less complicated, according to the duration, stage, and virulence of the disorder. A case consisting simply in augmented issue will require only some mild astringent application, such as equal parts of the powder of alum and bole Armenian, or of those of charcoal and calamine; or, should an ointment be preferred (and it is what we are in the practice of using), two drams of finely powdered alum are to be -rubbed into an ounce of hog's lard; or, what the druggists sell as mild citrine ointment. Should the legs fill, a diuretic or purging ball should be given at the time, and the animal must be walked out twice a-day. Whenever the heels, however, are hot, swollen, and tender, instead of this, emollient poultices must be employed, and continued until such time as the inflammation is mitigated; after which astringents may be used. When there is much fœtid discharge, a charcoal poultice will be found to be the best corrective. In neglected, rancid cases, as soon as we have diminished the inflammation in the limb by local bleeding, purging, and poulticing, we must apply this liniment to the heel, after the manner of a poultice, viz. two drams of powdered blue vitriol, half an ounce of alum in powder, and one ounce of Armenian bole, mixed together, and stirred into three ounces of common oil. It should be allowed to remain applied three days; after which the horse should be exercised well, to take the swelling away, and then fresh dressing is to be applied. In this way may a certain cure be effected in all cases excepting those having grapes: and they must be cut off with a sharp knife, and afterwards cauterized; after which, the same liniment, with twice the quantity of the vitriol, should be applied all over the diseased surface. RING-BONE. An osseous tumour, situated upon the pastern bone; so called, because very commonly it forms a sort of ring around the circumferent surface of that bone. It is very similar in its nature to splint or spavin; indeed it originates, like them, in the overstraining of soft parts, which in consequence take on diseased action, and become converted into bone. Over-weighting young horses, or putting them out beyond their powers, are the com mon sources of spavins, splints, curbs, and ringbones. Ring-bones may be accompanied with lameness or not, depending on the presence of inflammation, and on the degree of it; also on their volume and situation, so far as they may or may not interfere with the motions of the pastern joint. Repeated bleedings from the toe, blisters; or first firing, and then blistering, are the only remedies worthy of mention for them. The diseases productive of lameness which remain to be described, are all seated within or about the hoof, and one of the most important is fever in the feet, by which is meant inflammation of the sensitive parts generally contained within the horny cavity. The symptoms of this malady are so remarkable, that, having witnessed one case of it, it is hardly possible ever afterwards to mistake it. The animal cannot tolerate long the pain of bearing his weight upon the affected feet. Should the disease be confined to the fore feet, he will bring the hind ones as far forwards as possible underneath his belly, in order that they may take the principal bearing; but, should all feet be suffering, he will, after having stood for some time in considerable pain, lie down. It is, however, the posture in which he is observed to be standing, together with the peculiarity of his gait, that proclaims at once the nature of his complaint. And this is confirmed by the intense heat felt on clasping the hoofs. The treatment must consist in abstracting blood locally from the toe of each inflamed foot; and in covering the hoof afterwards, if possible to obtain it, with pounded ice, by placing it within a large poulticeboot; if not, with the coldest poultice he can procure. At the same time, the coronets should be blistered. It is also advisable to purge the animal pretty briskly. The bleeding, poulticing, and blistering should be repeated at short intervals, according to circumstances. What we have to guard against, is suppuration or abscess of the foot; the natural consequence of which is spontaneous separation and casting off the hoofs, leaving the animal thereby in a miserable plight, from which it becomes a duty to humanity to release him by putting him to death. CONTRACTED FEET. Were it not for fear of being accused of a very serious omission, we do not think we should give place, among the diseases, to the subject of the present paragraph; it is certainly not of itself a disease, unless we can consider a tight (human) shoe as one. For the hoof itself is just as insensible as a piece of leather, and no more than the said leather can become the seat or subject of diseased or any other organic action; it would therefore be the height of absurdity to regard contracted hoofs in this light. It has been said, that a hoof, when it has become contracted, is operating the same as a tight shoe, compressing and squeezing the parts within it: but this mechanical notion does not seem to accord with practice. We rather suspect that the contraction (of the hoof) will be found to be rather an effect than a cause of inflammation: not that we mean to assert, that it always results from inflammation; only, when we find the two existing together in a foot previously healthy, we would place the latter first in the account. The ordinary cause of contraction appears to be the state of inaction into which the posterior or compressible parts of the foot are thrown in conse. quence, principally, of want of pressure to the frog: these parts, from having become comparatively useless, naturally shrink, and then the hoof closes in upon them. Every hour's observation shows the truth of this view of the subject; and we learn every day, from practice, that pressure to the frog has considerable effect in dilating the heels, though it may fail, in consequence of the change of structure in the compressed, or rather shrunk parts, in restoring the hoof to its original dimensions. SAND CRACK is a cleft or crack in the hoof, commonly in the side, rarely in front, and invariably extending from above downward, in consequence of the fibres of the hoof taking that direction. The ordinary situation for sand-crack is the side of the hoof, the quarter just opposite to the place where the heels of the coffin bone terminate; and the reasons why it comes in this particular place is, that this is the part of the hoof which is most operated on, either by expansion or contraction. When the crack comes in front, it is in the hind hoof. Should the crack penetrate completely through to the sensitive parts, or should it extend to the coronary ligament, it commonly occasions lameness. All that we can do towards restoration, is to take off all bearing from the cracked part upon the shoe; and at the same time blister the coronet directly above it, in order to produce a united crust, which must grow from top to bottom before the crack can be obliterated: no sort of union can possibly take place between the horny sides of the crack. CORN. The seat of this disease is one of the heels of the sole of the foot, most commonly the inner heel; because, that being the one which moves the most in action, is more likely to strike against the heel of the shoe, and be bruised, than the outer one. It is very erroneous to suppose that a corn in a horse bears any analogy to a corn in a man's foct: it is quite a different thing; it consists in a bruise of the sensitive parts at the heels, by which their blood-vessels become ruptured and blood exudes, which, by penetration, stains the horn with a red or pinkish spot. The remedy for corn consists in preventing the possibility of contact between the bruised part and the shoe; and in poulticing the foot, should there be inflammation existing; if not, in simply stopping it with clay or any other moist substance, the object being to soften the horn. It is very important, however, to remember that, before this is done, the corn should be pared as thin as possible. QUITTOR is the name for an ulcer upon some part of the circle where the hoof and skin unite, leading to a sinus which runs downward between the hoof and the sensitive foot. Commonly, this takes place in the inner quarter, in consequence of that being a part frequently bruised by the shoe of the fellow foot; and also in consequence of the inner side being the more frequent seat of corn, of which this disease is occasionally the offset. The cure should first be attempted with caustics; and one of the best is corrosive sublimate, with the powder of which the sinus should be filled, and afterwards the foot poulticed. Should this fail, the actual cautery may be employed: with a smooth cylindrical bluntpointed iron, heated to redness, cauterize the sinus down to its bottom, and on every side, and afterwards fill it with corrosive sublimate. Should these means fail, our only resource is to take away part of the quarter of the hoof, and excise the diseased portion of cartilage. FRUSH. This is so common a disease, and one that is so commonly unattended with any sort of suffering, or at least sufficient to occasion lameness, that many people look upon a frush as no disease at all. It consists in a foetid issue from the cleft of the frog; which gradually rots away the horn in the immediate vicinity, until the whole of the cleft, whose cavity becomes at the same time enlarged, acquires the softness of cheese and turns into a mass of corruption of the most malignant and noisome description. In recent cases, simple astringents are all that is required. Equal parts of powdered alum and charcoal, or, of the former and double its quantity of Armenian bole: pare out the cleft, and introduce some of the powder upon a piece of tow, and renew the dressing every day. In worse cases, a small proportion of powdered blue vitriol must be added; about one part in six. Vitriol water (made by mixing one ounce of vitriol with a pint of water) is also a very good application. After the dressing is applied, in wet weather it is good practice to pour melted tar over the surface of the frog, to prevent the dirt and wet from penetrating into the cleft. CANKER.--An extremely loathsome disease, which very often has its origin in frush; at other times it is produced by grease: in fact it may originate in almost any neglected or maltreated diseased action, continuing long in the foot. It is brought on by the ichorous and putrid issues of the diseased parts corrupting the adjoining healthy parts, and at length inducing in them a malignant cancerous action, which, when once set up, spreads rapidly over the contiguous surfaces. In place of producing hoof, parts once become cancerous or cankerous, give growth to a white, soft, fungous substance, which, on being cut or pricked, readily bleeds, and would appear also from the irritability of the animal to be highly sensitive. To cure the canker, the first object should be to destroy this mordid secretory action: which is best done by aquafortis; with a feather dipped into the liquid, spread it over the surface; after which, cover the parts with an ointment composed of verdigrease, in powder, five ounces; vinegar, eight ounces; treacle, twelve ounces; mixed altogether and boiled over a slow fire, to the consistence of honey. Last in order of the diseases of the foot, though perhaps first in point of importance, we place what has been unwittingly named the Navicular disease:" by which is meant the navicular-joint disease; and under this denomination we shall describe it. For many a year have we passed off groggy horses as lame from contraction or disease in the coffin-joint: whereas, Mr. Turner (who has very recently published on the subject, in that useful and interesting journal, the VETERINARIAN,) has shown to demonstration to us that the disease--the cause of lameness-is not to be sought in the coffin, but in the navicular joint; and that it consists in inflammation and ulceration of the synovial membrane covering the inferior surface of the navicular bone, and the opponent part of the long flexor tendon. Mr. Turner (to whose Paper on the subject we must refer our reader for further particulars) conceives that the disease originates in contraction; not of that kind which consists in narrowing of the hoof, but such as is commonly described by the phrase from below upwards:" meaning, a diminution in the cavity of the hoof in the vertical (not the lateral) line of direction. We cannot, however, subscribe to this opinion. We, for our own part, look upon it as the effect of concussion; and would rather regard contraction as, ordinarily, the effect, and not the cause of the malady in the joint. In regard to the symptoms denoting such disease, they may be comprehended under the phrase "grogginess" of one or both feet, and no apparent cause for lameness: and in regard to treatment, that is to be conducted on the principles of inflammation in general; viz. local bleeding and blistering; cold applications; rest; purgation, &c. At least such is the old mode of procedure; and it is one which the discovery of the seat and nature of the disease has gone far to confirm. Having, with this, concluded the local maladies, we shall proceed to the FOURTH CLASS.-SPECIFIC DISEASES. Among which we may rank Strangles, Mange, Internal Inflammation of the Eyes, Farcy, and Glanders. STRANGLES. Generally, between the 4th and 5th years, sometimes earlier, sometimes later in life, and more particularly during the vernal and autumnal seasons, the horse becomes the subject of a diffused swelling about the throat and betwixt the jaw-bones, which in the farriers' cant is denominated strangles." (From some notion, I imagine of endangering suffocation.) True or genuine strangles are the epithets applied to the tumour, or that part of the swelling which is confined to the interspace between the branches of the jaw: this, however, is very commonly accompanied with tumefaction of the glands or kernels under the ears, and also of the parts about the throat. In the first stage, the swelling is hard, somewhat hotter to the feel than the other parts, and the animal flinches from the pressure upon it; gradually, it grows more extended and prominent, hotter and more tender to the touch, until at length one part becomes more prominent than any other, (and this is commonly the central and most dependent part,) at which place the tumour, now become an abscess, in consequence of containing matter, has a soft and fluctuating feel, and is thereby said to point. The suppurating process is commonly confined to the tumour between VOL. XVIII. PART I. the jaws: in some cases, however, we have abscesses forming under the ears, and about the throat also. The specific characters of this malady (which has been on account of them compared to the small-pox in man) consist in its attacking all horses, and about the same period of their life; and in its not being liable to appear a second time in the same subject. Some writers assert, that it is a contagious disorder: but we lack proofs of this assertion. It has never seemed to us to be of such a nature. When the strangles first appear, and the tumour is yet hard, seldom any thing is required to be done; unless we are desirous to repel it, and then we may employ a mild blister, and at the same time bleed and purge the animal. The common opinion, however, is, that this is not so beneficial a practice as that which promotes suppuration; and, therefore, we may either leave it to itself, or foment the swelling twice or thrice a-day with hot water, and apply warm poultices, composed of bran. As soon as it begins to increase much, and particularly if it is growing hot and tender or soft, we should, in the intervals of the fomentation, envelop the whole throat in a copious linseed meal poultice. The pointing process is to be closely watched, and to be considered the signal for opening the abscess: which is best done with a broad-shouldered lancet. The matter being all pressed out, spirits of turpentine is to be injected into the cavity once a-day; and afterwards the swelling is to be again fomented and poulticed, as long at least as there continues any discharge: scrupulous attention being paid in the course of cure to keep the hole open. MANGE is a well-known disorder of the skin among horses, occasioning them to rub the parts affected against any thing they happen to be standing near. It has been likened to the itch in ourselves, and not without reason; the two appearing to be extremely analogous. The disorder begins with simply an itchy and scurfy state of the skin, commonly about the head, side of the neck, withers and shoulders; sometimes the arm-pits and thighs: which parts soon afterwards exhibit bare white patches, in consequence of the outer skin (becoming dry and turning white) continually desquamating in branny scales. The next change consists in the parts becoming arid and harsh to the feel, and in their puckering into wrinkles. From the notorious fact of mange being a contagious disease, any one would suppose that it was always produced by that influence: there appears, however, great reason to believe that it arises in many cases spon taneously; and still more to show that poverty is one grand cause of its origin. Very many recipes have been handed down to us as cures for this readily curable disorder. The two following we can recommend. Take of sulphur viyum 6 oz.; train oil 1 pint; stir them together, and add 2 oz. of Venice turpentine. Or this: take of sulphur vivum 4 oz.; powdered hellebore 2 oz.; sublimate 1 dr.; first mix these powdered ingredients together, and afterwards stir them into a pint of train oil. With either of these applications, the parts affected are to be well rubbed. On the third day following, wash them; and afterwards repeat 2 N* |