Encyclopaedia Britannica; or, A dictionary of arts and sciences, compiled upon a new plan … > Volume 2, C-L

FARR
made too hot, firft rafping very thin and wide from both
(ides of the cleft: the horl'e mull: not carry any weight for
fome time, but be turned out to grafs, or wintered in a
good farm-yard.
A quittpr is an nicer formed between the hair and
hoof, ufually the inlide quarter of a horfe’s foot; it a-
rifes often from treads and bruifes, fometirftes from
gravel, which, ty working its way upwards, lodges a-
bout the coronet: if it is only fuperficial, it may be cured
with cleanfing dreflings, bathing the coronet every day
with fpirit of wine, and drefling the fore with the preci¬
pitate medicine.
But if the matter forms itfelf a lodgment under the
hoof, there is no way then to come at the ulcer, but by
taking off part of the hoof; and if this be done artfully
and well, the cure may be affefled without danger.
When the matter happens to be lodged near the quar¬
ter, the farrier is fomettmes obliged to take off the quar¬
ter of the hoof, and the cure is then, for the mod part,
but palliative; for when the quarter grows up, it leaves
a pretty large feam, which weakens the foot; this is
what is called a falfe quarter, and a horfe with this de¬
feat feldom gets quite found.
If the matter, by its confinement, has rotted the cof¬
fin-bone, which is of fo foft and fpongy a nature, that
it foon becomes fo, you mud enlarge the opening, cut a-
way the rotten fldh, and apply the a<5tual cautery, or hot
iron pointed pyramidically, and drefs the bone with dof-
fils of lint, dipped in tin&ure of myrrh, and the wound
wjth the green or precipitate ointment. When the fore
is not enlarged by the knife, which is the bed, and lefs
painful method, pieces of fublimate are generally applied,
which bring out with them cores, or lumps of flefh ; blue
vitriol powdered, and mixed with a few drops of the oil,
is ufedalfo for this purpofe, and is faid to a& as effedhially,
and with lefs pain and danger; during the operation of thefe
medicines, the foot Ihould be kept in fome foft poultice,
and care ftiould be taken, during the whole dreffing, to
prevent proud flelh rifing, which otherwife will not only
retard the cure, but prevent a firm and found healing.
Of Wounds in the Feet, from Nails, Gravel, fac.
Accidents of this fort are very common, and fome-
times for want of early care, prove of bad confequence;
for the parts, being naturally tender, are very fufceptible
of inflammation; and when matter is once formed, if a
free difcha’rge is not procured, the bone, which is fpun-
gy, foon becomes affefted, and the whole foot is then in
danger.
When any extraneons bodies, fuch as nails, flubs,
thorns, 'be. have paffed into the horfe’s foot, you fhould
endeavour to get them out as foon as pollible; and after
wafhing the part with oil of turpentine, drefs the hole
with lint dipped in the fame,, melted down with a little
tar; the foot may be flopped up with bran aqd hogs-laM
heated together, or put it into the turnip, or any foft
poultice ; this* method is generally fuccefsful, when the.
nail, be. is entirely removed ; but if any piece, or par¬
ticle, fhould remain behind, which may be fufpe&ed by *
the degree of pain, and difeharge of matter; after par-
I E R Y. 579
ing away the foie as thin as pofflble, introduce a bit of
fponge tent, in order to enlarge the hole,-that it may be
drawn out by a fmall pair ©f forceps, or brought away
by digeflion : if this method fhould not fucceed, but the
lamenefs continues, with a difeharge of a thin bloody,
or flinking matter, you mull no longer delay opening the
wound with a drawing-knife to the bottom, and then
drefs as above directed, or with the turpentine digeflive,
divided with the yolk of an egg, and a little tindure of
myrrh ; afterwards with the precipitate medicine.
If the lamenefs proceeds from pricking in fhoeing, the
foot fhould be pared thin on the wound fide, and after
drefling with the tar and turpentine, let it be flopped with
the poultices above mentioned, or with two ounces of
common turpentine, melted down with four of lard ;
fhould this method not fucceed, follow the above direc-
tioas.
If the nail penetrates to the joint of the foot, where
matter may be formed, and by its long continuance
putrify, fo as to erode the cartilages of the joint, the
cafe is incurable.
If the nail has paffed up to the nut-bone, it is incurable,
becaufe this little bone cannot exfoliate, and becaufe the
cartilaginous part of it is deftroyed, as foon as injured.
If the nail has not paffed to the tendon, the horfe will.
do well, without a neceflity for drawing the foie ; but if
the tendon is wounded, the foie muft be carefully drawn,
becaufe a finovia and gleet is difeharged.
When gravel is the caufe, it for the moft part follows
the nail-holes, and if it gets to the quick cannot return,
unlefs it is feraped out; for the make of the hoof, which
is fpiral like an ear of corn, favours its afeent, fo that
the gravel continues working upwards towards the coro¬
net, and forms what the farriers call a quittor-bone.
The nature of this diforder points out the method of
cure, which is to be as expeditious and careful as poflible, '
in getting out the gravel; if it is found difficult to effedt
this, let the foie or hoof be pared thin, and, if neceffary,
the wound enlarged to the bottom, and then dreffed up
as ufual. Should the coffin-bone be affedted, you muft
follow the diredlions laid down in the preceding fedtion,
remembering always to bathe the hoof wiih vinegar, or
repellers, in order to allay the heat and inflammation,
which often happen on fuch occafions; and ffiould the
pain and anguifh affea the legs, treat them in the fame
manner, or charge the leg and paftern with a mixture of
wine-lees and viqegar.
Figs are fpongy fwellings on the bottom of horfes feet,
generally on the fides of the fruffi. Thefe, or any other
kind of excrefcences, fuch as warts, corns, grapes, be.
are beft removed by'the knife ; and if any part of them
be left behind, or fliould ffioot up afreffi, touch them with
the cauftic, or oil of vitriol, and drefs with iEgyptiacum ;
to which may be added, when they are %rery rebellious,
a fmall quantity of fublimate ; when the roots are quite
deftroyed, you may incarn with the precipitate medicines,
and dry up the fore with the following wafli.
Take of white vitriol, alum, and galls in powder, of
each two ounces ; diffolve them by boiling a little in
two quarts of lime-water, and keep in a bottle for
ufe, which fliculd be ffiook when ufed.