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

58o
F A R . R
Of the Running Thrush, Canker, and
Loss of Hoof.
The thrujh or frujh is an impofthume that fometinies
gathers in the frog; or a fcabby and ulcerous difpofition,
which fometimes caufe.s it to fall off: when the difcharge
is natural, the feet fhould be kept clean, but no drying
walhes made ufe of, it being thought as unfafe to repel
fome of thefe difeharges, as to cure fome fweaty feet.
When an impofthume, or gathering appears, the fafeft
way is to pare out the hard part of the frog, or whatever
appears rotten ; and walh the bottom of the foot two or
three times a-day with old chamber-lye ; this is the fafeft
and belt way of treating them. But when a horfe has
been negledted, and there is is a ftrong flux to the part,
it is apt to degenerate into a canker; to prevent which,
ufe the following walh.
Take fpirit of wine and vinegar of each two ounces,
tinfture of myrrh and aloes one ounce, ^Egyptia-
cum half an ounce ; mix together.
Bathe the thrulh with this, where ever there appears
a more than ordinary moifture, and lay over the ulcer a
little tow dipped in the fame. The purges and diuretics
recommended in the greafe, (howld be given at this time,
to prevent the inconveniencies that the drying up thefe dif¬
eharges frequently occafion.
A canker in the foot proceeds, for the moft part, from
thrufhes, when they prove rotten and putrid, though
many other caufes may produce this diforder. The me¬
thod ufed by farriers for the cure is generally with hot
•oils, fuch as vitriol, aqua-fortis, and butter of antimony,
which are very proper to keep down the riling flelh, and
fhould be ufed daily, till the fungus is fupprefled, when
•once in two days will be fulficient, Hrewing fine precipi¬
tate powder over the new-grown flelh, till the foie begins
to grow.
There is one great error committed often in this cure,
tftat is, in not having fulficient regard to the hoof; for
it Ihould not only be cut off, where-ever it prefles on the
tender parts, but Ihould be kept foft with linfeed oil;
and as often as it is drefled, bathe the hoof all round the
coronet with chamber-lye. Purging is very proper to
complete the cure.
The lofs of the hoof may be occafioned by whatever ac¬
cident may bring an impollhumation in the feet, whereby
the whole hoof becomes loofened, and falls off from the
bone. If the coffin-bone remains uninjured, a new hoof
may be procured by the following method.
The old hoof Ihould by no means be pulled off, unlefs
fome accident happens that requires its removal ; for it
ferves as a defence to the new one, and makes it grow
more fmooth and even ; and indeed nature will general¬
ly do this office at her own proper time.—On the re¬
moval of the hoof, a boot of leather, with a ftrong foie,
fhould be laced about the paftern, bolftering and flop¬
ping the foot with foft flax, that the tread may be eafy:
drefs the fore with the wound ointment, to which fhould
Be added the fine powders of myrrh, maftich, and oliba-
,num. If this medicine fhould not be fufficient to pre-
i ent a fungus, burnt alum or precipitate may be added to
I E R Y.
it, and the luxuriant fleffi may be daily wafhed with the
fublimate water.
Of Ruptures, Anticor, Colt-evil or Gonor¬
rhoea, and Difeafes of the Mouth.
In regard to ruptures, though they are general¬
ly divided into particular claffes, we lhall only obferve,
that by violent efforts of the horfe, or other accidents,
the guts or caul may be forced between the mufcles of the
belly at the navel, and through the rings of the mufcles
into the ferotum or cod. The fwellings are generally a-
bout the fize of a man’s fill, fometimes much larger, de-
feending to the very hock; they are frequently foft, and
yield to the preffure of the hand, when they will return
into the cavity of the belly with a rumjjling noife ; and,
in moft, the vacuity may be felt through which they
paffed.
On their firft appearance, endeavours fhould be made N
to return them by the hand ; but if the fwelling ffiould be
hard and painful, in order to relieve the ftridture, and
relax the parts, through which the gut or caul has paf¬
fed, let a large quantity of blood be immediately taken
away, and the part fomented twice or thrice a-day, ap¬
plying over it a poultice made with oatmeal, oil and
vinegar, which fhould be continued till the fwelling
grows foft and eafier, or the gut is returned. In the
mean time it would be proper to throw up emollient oily
glyfters twice a-day, and to let the horfe’s chief diet be
boiled barley, fpalded malt, or bran.
Should the fwelling afterwards return, we apprehend
the reftringent applications, ufually recommended on thefe
occafions, will avail little without a fufpenfory bandage ;
fo that an ingenious mechanic in that art is chiefly to be
relifcd on for any future affiftance ; though it has been
obferved, that with moderate feeding, and gentle exer-
cife, fome horfes have continued to be very ufeful under
this, complaint.
The anticor is a diforder not very common among our
horfes, or thofe in northern climates ; but is particular¬
ly taken notice of by the French, Spanifh, and Italian
writers ; who deferibe it a malignant fwelling in the
breaft, which extends fometimes to the very fheath under
the belly ; it is attended with a fever, great depreffions,
and weaknefs, and a total .lofs of appetite.
The cure fhould firft be attempted by lar^e and repeat¬
ed bleedings, to abate the inflammation ; emollient gly¬
fters fhould be injefted twice or thrice a-day, with an
ounce of fal prunella in each, and the cooling drink in
the Sedtion on Fevers fhould be given inwardly ; the
fwelling fhould be bathed with the marfhmallow oint¬
ment, and a ripening poultice, with onions boiled in it,
fhould be daily applied over it. If by this method, con¬
tinued four or five days, the inflammation in the throat
and gullet is removed, our attention fhould more particu¬
larly turn to encourage the fwelling at the breaft, and
bring it, if poflible, to matter: to which end, continue the
poultice, and give two ounces of Venice treacle diffolved
in a pint of beer every night; when the fwelling is grown
foft, it muft be opened with the knife, and dreffed with
turpentine digeftive, the danger now being over.