NAVICULAR DISEASE. This disease is known also as contraction of the feet, and pro duces the peculiar crippled gait known as grog giness. The intense agony of the suffering ani mal may be partially imagined by any person, who, from a boot which contracting on the foot, has doubled the edges together on themselves. When the disease has progressed for some time common humanity would seem to dictate that the animal be killed, to end its misery. If taken early in the disease, care may result in a cure, with only more or less lameness. The disease is most common in horses, driven fast on hard roads, or those used for racing and leaping. It may be sudden in its attacks or be preceded by pointing the toe, and a peculiar tripping gait. Wasting of the muscles of the shoulders is gener ally present from the fact of disease, and not that there is sweeny there as many igno rantly suppose. The foot will be found dry,. hot, and generally tender at some point. At the first sign of the peculiar lameness, take off the shoe, bleed from the artery above the coro net, give the foot a cold water bath for a few hours of the day and poultice at night, (bread and milk or linseed meal). If the inflammation
does not yield in two weeks, blister the coronet, and if the disease is still obstinate, a seton may be put in the frog, by paring down thin, using a sharp pointed, short, stout, curved seton needle, the point of the needle entering an inch from the toe and brought out midway between the bulbs of the frog and the forward part of the hollow of the heel; taking care not to go so deep as to interfere with the sinew. Tie the ends of the tape with which the needle is armed, and dress it daily for a month with one part of powdered cantharides to eight parts each of oil of turpen tine and Canada balsam. If this does not cure give the horse rest and quiet until the disease runs its course, when he may be able to dosome light work.