Diseases of the Horse's FootReeks, H. Caulton (Harry Caulton)
Science
Diseases of the Horse's Foot
Reeks, H. Caulton (Harry Caulton)
Hoofs -- Diseases; Horses -- Diseases
Put thus, treatment of canker would at first sight appear to be easy. One
would imagine that a simple and long-continued soaking of the entire foot
in a strong enough antiseptic would be all that was needed. Clinical
observation, however, shows that this is not so, and for this there must be
reasons.
The reasons are these: (1) Between us and the diseased layer upon which our
attention must be directed is often a layer of normal horn, effectually
protecting the tissues beneath from any dressing which we might consider
beneficial. (2) Anything applied with the object of destroying septic
material, but strong enough, or caustic enough, to injure the membrane upon
which we are working, only makes the case worse. The superficial layer of
the keratogenous membrane in which we have judged the disease to exist is,
after all, but a delicate structure. When attacked by the application of
too potent a drug its horn-secreting layer is easily destroyed, and thus,
although we may succeed in establishing asepsis, we cannot expect at the
point of injury a growth of horn. In its place we are confronted with large
outgrowths of inflammatory fibrous tissue. (3) Shedding of the diseased
horn and removal of the pressure exerted by the hoof faces us with
hypertrophy of the exposed villi. The difficulty of meeting this with an
adequate and evenly-distributed pressure is well enough known, and we find
in that a further reason that the treatment of canker is superlatively
difficult. (4) The material on which the animal has to stand is a distinct
bar to the maintaining of a strict asepsis.
When we have said this, it is easy to understand that canker is not to be
successfully met with any so-called specific--that it makes but little
difference what the application may be so long as it is antiseptic, and is
used by a man thoroughly conversant with the difficulties he has to contend
with, and with his mind firmly set upon surmounting them.
With this point established, we will not devote more of our space to a
consideration of the various dressings that have at different times been
highly advocated in the treatment of the disease. It is interesting,
however, to note that intensely irritating and caustic applications have
been greatly in favour. Nitric acid, sulphuric acid (either alone or its
action reduced by the addition of alcohol, oil, or turpentine), arsenic,
butter of antimony, creasote, chromic acid, carbolic acid, arsenite of
soda, and the actual cautery, have all been used.
Without dwelling further on that, we may say at once that a correct
treatment consists in (1) the removal of all horn overlying infected
portions of the keratogenous membrane, (2) the application of an antiseptic
not too powerfully caustic in its action, (3) frequent changes of the
dressings in order to insure a maintenance of antisepsis, and (4) the
application of an adequate pressure to the exposed soft structures. Thus
combated, canker is curable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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