s at a new point. The wall of the hoof, over the
affected quarter and heel, in very old cases becomes rough and wrinkled
like the horn of a ram, and generally it is thicker than the
corresponding quarter, owing to the stimulating effect which the disease
has upon the coronary band.

Complications may arise by an extension of the disease to the lateral
ligament of the coffin joint, to the joint itself, to the plantar
cushion, and by caries of the coffin bone.

_Treatment._--Before recovery can take place all the dead cartilage must
be removed. In rare instances this is effected by nature without
assistance. Usually, however, the disease does not tend to recovery, and
active curative measures must be adopted. The best and simplest
treatment, in a majority of cases, is the injection of strong caustic
solutions, which destroy the diseased cartilage and cause its discharge,
along with the other products of suppuration. In favorable cases these
injections will secure a healing of the wound in from two to three
weeks. While the saturated solution of sulphate of copper, or a solution
of 10 parts of bichlorid of mercury to 100 parts of water, has given the
best results in my hands, equally as favorable success has been secured
by others from the use of caustic soda, nitrate of silver, sulphate of
zinc, tincture of iodin, etc. No matter which one of these remedies may
be selected, however, it must be used at least twice a day for a time.
The solution is injected into the various openings with force enough to
drive it to the bottom of the wound, after which the foot is to be
dressed with a pad of oakum, held in place by a roller bandage tightly
applied. While it is not always necessary, it is often of advantage to
relieve the pressure on the parts by rasping away the hoof over the seat
of the cartilage; the coronary band and laminae should not be injured in
the operation.

If the caustic injections prove successful, the discharge will become
healthy and gradually diminish, so that by the end of the second week
the fistulous tracts are closing up and the injections are made with
much difficulty.

If, on the other hand, there is but little or no improvement after this
treatment has been used for three weeks, it may reasonably be concluded
that the operation for the removal of the lateral cartilage must be
resorted to for the cure of the trouble. As this operation can be safely
undertaken only by an expert surgeon, it will not be