CONVULSIONS
—are a spasmodic affection of the muscular parts of the body, occasioned by extreme pain acting upon the irritability of the nervous system; and generally proceed from cholic, inflammation of the kidnies, strangury, worms preying upon the internal coat of the stomach, a fullness of the vessels, and too great a flux of blood to the brain; as well as a variety of causes, many of which are, perhaps, very far beyond the utmost extent of human investigation. Whenever they come on, the scene becomes truly distressing; they may be considered almost invariably certain indications of approaching dissolution, instances being exceedingly rare of a horse's recovery.
COMPRESSION
—is a term meant to convey the idea of an injury sustained in the foot of a horse from a contraction of the hoof, more particularly at the heel, by indiscreet management in the mode of shoeing: first, in forming the shoes too narrow, and giving them an improper internal curve at each heel; the injudiciously cutting away the bars of the foot, (formed by nature for its proper expansion;) the rasping away each side of the heel, to make the foot fit the shoe, already put on too small; all which is still more aggravated, by the equally infernal and equally invincible practice of fitting the shoe red-hot to the foot, in opposition to every argument and entreaty, thereby drying up and consuming the natural moisture of the internal or fleshy sole, at the moment of cauterizing and contracting the surface.
A hoof in the state described, holds forth, in its appearance, ample proof of compression upon the parts constituting the internal structure of the foot; the membranous mass, the nut and coffin-bone, thus pressed upon by the surrounding stricture, occasions a torpidity, and consequent defect in action, by no means dissimilar to the hobbling gait of an infant in pain from the tightness and rigidity of new leather shoes. Horses whose feet are thus destructively reduced, are generally those to whom neither MASTER or MAN ever condescends to look: if proper injunctions were laid upon the shoeing smith, at each time of performing the operation, such a scene of devastation could never ensue. When the feet, by such mismanagement, have got into this state, every possible application should be made to promote growth and expansion. If the horse stands constantly in the stable, fresh stopping of moist cow-dung every night, with a plentiful impregnation of spermacæti oil, all round the hoof, every night and morning, are the most expeditious remedies for the defect; but if it can be adopted with convenience, turning out two or three months upon a moist marshy piece of land will prove superior to every other consideration.
COOLERS
—are such medicines as, by their attenuating property, tend to divest the blood of its viscidity, and to counteract threatened inflammation. They are always useful in plethoric appearances: when a horse is evidently overloaded, and above himself in flesh, when the legs are full, round, and all the vessels are palpably distended, cooling medicines, and gentle exercise, are the direct means of obtaining relief. Bleeding should take the lead, followed by a course of diuretics, mild or strong, according to the size and strength of the subject. Nitre, incorporated with half its weight of gum Arabic in powder, and dissolved in the water, is an excellent article of this description.
CORNS
,—as they are called, would be much more properly denominated bruises, and are of infinite trouble to those who implicitly submit to the Quixotic schemes and manual dexterity of the SMITH; who, with a secundum artem expedition, instantly renders the remedy worse than the disease. As his principal province is the art of cutting, he has no sooner the drawing-knife in his hand, than he is at "the bottom:" his great object is the destruction of parts; and he piques himself upon doing more mischief in two minutes, than Nature can restore in three months. Impressed with no idea but instrumental extirpation, he proceeds to excavate the sole of the foot, till, having reached the membrane, a protrusion ensues, and leaves him a happy opening for the bar-shoe, hot-stopping, a daily dressing, and the collateral considerations which constitute a sum total by no means necessary.
Corns mostly originate in the shoe having swerved a little from its proper seat upon the wall or crust of the hoof, and becoming, as it were, indented upon the outer sole, occasions a bruise, appearing to have ramifications of extravasated fluid in very fine and oblique directions: the shoe being permitted to press upon this part, (become irritable by the injury it has sustained,) produces pain and impediment to action. Upon the discovery that such has taken place, the remedy is as simple as the cause by which it was occasioned. The shoe being carefully removed, take from the surface of what is miscalled a corn, just enough to leave the part free from pressure by the shoe; moisten once externally with a few drops of oil of vitriol, or simple aqua fortis; and the operative smith, farrier, or veterinary surgeon, will not find a plea for the devastation he is generally so ready to promote.