The Russellville Democrat., 1883-04-05

yery frequent cause OF serious and an
moving lamencss. Unlike the horny
excrescence which in hcts the human
foot, and which is superficial and nj
WAYS due to external pressure, i is
0 ten deen seated and involves impor
tant tissues In order TO understand
tile cause, as well Us the propef treat
ment OF this disease. we must first know
.omcthing Of the structures in which i
il found The foot OF the horse is
horny box, containing within its wall
bones, ligamcnts. carriages, tsndons.
b God vessels. nerves and absorbents,
all wonderfully arranged and adapted
to the ends in vew-or commencing
with the bones, the ~ neipal on OF
VIII eli is known as the colin bone or
bone of the loot, and which in shape
exactly corresponds to that OF the hoof
as whole. we mas say that this is
covered with stocking made 0 a u ost
delicate and sensitive liss c. in viii, Ii
ramitv innumerable blood vessels and
cr,es, and VIII cl constitutes what is
known as the sensitive lam ine, sole and
frog. This stocking in turn is protect d
by the exte nal horny hoof, which
serves as boot or shoe.
The use OF this stocking of highly or
ganized tissue is TO supply the horn,
and to afford nourishment BIZ its blood
vessels to all parts Of the foot, and BY
its nerves to endow them with an acute
sense OF touch All parts OF the horny
box or hoof known under different
names. such as the wall. the bars, the
sole and frog, although apparently un
like in structure, are compounded of the
same ingredients. differently composed
and differently arranged Thus the
sole thrown out from the sensitive sole,
or that portion OF the vascular stocking
which covers the lower surface of the
bone of the foot, although i'll IFS fibrous
structure similar to the wall, has the pc
culiarity of throwing off any excess of
growth by the process of taking or cx-
foliation. The wall on the contrary, if
protected by shoe, as is most fire.
quently the case in the civilized comb :
ton of the animal, must be removed by
artificial means at the time of resettlng
the shoe, as the growth OF the horn is
downward. and to an indefinite extent.
Now this natural taking of the horny
sole does away with the necessity OF its
removal by the farrier, consequently it
should never be touched by the knife II
in its normal condition.
II there is any maxim which has truth
to support il, it is that the sole. bars
and frog should never undergo the
slightest mutiation at the time OF shoe
ing or at any other time--when the It's
sues are healthy. What amount OF
equine suffering would be spared if thi
simple rule could be observed, and
what vast amount of work on the
part of the laboring blacksmith II taken
in the aggregate throughout this coun-
try, could be saved. Cons or for u
moment the course usually pursued by
the fafrer in regard t. the treatment
OF this important part of the loot. dav-
ing cut down by knife or reduced by
rasp tie outer crust OF the hoof, he pro-
ceeds to pare the sole often to the ex-
tent, advocated by the ignorant, that it
springs to the pressure OF the thumb
and Tor what object may it be asked.
olely because the foot is thought to
look better, or that il is a necessity.
No salts actory reason can be given Tor
this barbarous proceeding and nothing
but custom sanctions il. The animal
with his feet thus mutilated may
travel on a smooth surface wi Il
partial impunity, but let the foot
come in contact with stone,
which may wound the parts thus ex-
posed, and he is instantly in suffering
as evinced by sudden lameness More
over, the deeper seated portions OF the
horny sole having thus been uncovered
and exposed to external agencies Tor
which they are not ittej, become much
changed in their nature. Instead OF
the horny libers being supple more or
less moist and yielding, they become
brittle, dry and hard. he sole having
been rendered more concaye by the
process shrinks and draws with it the
walls of the foot, causing sooner or
later the entire organ to become CON
tracted and misshapen. Nor can any
artificial substitutes, known as ''stop-
pings" by any means supply the place
OF Natures deen e against inJur es to
the sole. What an absurdity. and VIII /
a cruelty it is to follow such senseless
custom, especially when a moments
reflection upon the subject would cause
any man of the smallest mental capaci-
ty to view the matter in the true light.
No sooner does Nature replace or COM
mence to replace the parts which have
been so foolishly cut away, and the ami
NIL again travels with comfort, when
the poor beast is sub ected to a repeti-
ton OF the operation at the time OF
shoe.ng.
Corns are situated in the fore feet,
generally in the triangular space be-
tween the bars (which are merely the
infections of the outer crust at the heel
towards the middle of the soie), and the
wall at the heel. They are the result OF
injury TO the deeper structures of the
sole. involving also the sensitive tissue
beneath, which injury may be produced
by an ill-fittng shoe, or by a bruise
from a stone. However the injury may
be caused. the result is Inflammation.
going on to the formation of mater and
to the destruction of the parts in the
immediate neighborhcod. The symp-
toms are lameness, pointing OF the toe,
with the heel slightly raised while at
rest, and finching when the parts are
pinched or struck with the hammer.
On removing the outer flakes o. the
horn BY pairing, signs of blood-stain
may generally be seen, and if suppura-
ton IS present, the animal evinces great
pain II the pairing is continued. The
treatment must be both palliative and
preventive. Ii no matter has formed, it
Is injurious to the foot 10 Gu away the
parts Apply poalt.ce for Few days,
until the Inflammation has disappeared
and then put on bar shoe, a sole of
leather, an in some cases a stutling OF
tow dipped in tar If meter has