Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-05-04
Founder.


We take the following from tho report Of
DR.. Cressy's lectures at the state agricultural
college =
In his seventh lecture the Professor
took up the disease commonly called "fouH.
der" scientific name laminits, which is
disease Of the foot, caused by inflammation
of the lamna and sensitive portion Of the
foot lying between the hoot aud the pedal
bone. 1t COMMONLY occurs from too sudden
cooling of heated horse A horse brought
in warm and jaded and set to eating cold
cut.feed will be liable to founder, when, if he
had been rubbed dry aud fed with dry hay,
he would have come out all right
A horse left standing, after driving, in too
cold place is liable to chill aud checking Of
the circulation OF the legs. For this reason
it is we'll to baudage the legs Of horses at
night, in cold weather. A horse may be
fouudered by standing on cold clay, for con-
tractej feet, when if he had been put on
floor well covered with litter he would have
been all right. Of course common cause
is allowing a horse to drink freely when
heated. In early cases Of founder tho SOW
ereign remedy is sDeating. There are horse
dealers who make practice Of looking up
and buying at low figures newly-foundered
horses, which they cure by sweating aud then
sell at good figures. To aid perspiration,
aconite may be administered, in dose Of
drachm to half pail of water. Let tho
horse drink tepid water freely. Warm wa
ter is itself a promoter of perspiratou. Cold
water has the contrary effect except that, in
some cases, when the horse is greatly heated
and yet the sweat will not start, a quart or
two of cold water will lower the tempera-
ture and start the perspiration. 1t has been
found in some cases that letting the founder
cd horse stand in pond of warm water has
been bene6clal-the tepid water opening the
pores aud answering the purpose Of sweat.
After the inflammation has continued till ex-
udation OF pus takes place, the matter accu-
mulates between the hoof aud the bone.
Pressing downward towards the toe, the ac-
cumulation Of matter In time actually presses
the bone back. ln this case, by saving right
into the toe Of the hoof, means of escape is
afforded to the pus, and it will work out. If
not discharged in any other way, the matter
will finally work channel to the rear. Its
presence may be discovered by tho softness
and swelling at the heel, and by cutting in
aud opening the matter may be discharged.
II not discharged in some cases it has been
known to result in cases of incurabe thrush.
In time, if the pus has no way to escape,
it breaks down and becomes inspissated. The
thicker part Of it becomes semi-solid and
then granulated. AT last the horse gets bet
ter aud seems to have recovered but when
the blacksmith comes to pare the hoof, he
finds chalky substance inside the outer horn
Of the hoof. This is the result of calcareous
degeneration of the tissues, and is called by
the blacksmiths, "seedy toe."
In some cases horse placed in moist
pasture, or having his feet kept on moist
earth in the stable, will become cured Of
founder by means of the growth OF new
| horn.
An important aid to cure, when tho
horses foot is 10 the subacute stage of this
disease, passing into the chronic may be rem
dered by proper shoeing. In this stage the
pressure on the fore part of the bone makes
it painful for the horse to strike the toe. The
tendency, therefore, is to raise the toe and to
strike the ground with the heel. To help
him, shoe him with a shoe having u
high toe and no heel calks. This saves
a great deal Of the strain on the liga-
ments, occasioned by the effort to keep the
too raised, aud conduccs to the cemfort and
cure Of the animal. A foundered horse, 50
shod, may be made useful for years.
As the disease continues, with constant
formation Of matter in the lamine aud in
contact with the bone of the hoof, and in time
absorption Of the bone takes place. The outer
portion becomes absorbed, or, as it were,
eaten away, till in extreme cases halt or more
of its substance is gone. la brief the pro-
cess in founders is first, congestion; second
exudation; third, suppuration or formation
Of pus fourth, cacareous degeneration
fifth, absorption Of the bone.
Horses with loose jointed feet, aud long
haired fetocks to hold water, are most liable
to become fouudered. A horse with snug
we'll made foot, set on tight, aud with short
haired fetock and an oblique pasteen, is less
liable to founder.
In closing, he said few words about
corllS. which are frequently nothing but stone
bruises. The horse, by striking his fool
hard on a stone may produce a concussior
of the sensitive parts near the bottom OF thu
foot. which may crush blood vessel. Al
effusion of blood takes place within, ant
; consequent soreness and Inflammation. b.
cutting through the bottom of the foot tn,
blood may be let out and the horse will &c
, well.
Most of the so-called corns, however, ar
! caused by faulty shoeing The blacksmith
puts on too wide shoe, aud a piece OF grave
works in between the shoe and the inside o
the foot or the hoof may be so pared ava.
: as to allow the shoe to press too directly OF
the soft part of the foot or the shoe ma
be so set as to press too much on one sid
T or the other The shoe should press evenl,
and only on the horny portion of the hoo
: The rim and not the sole OF the foot shouh
be shod.
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