[Illustration:  FIG. 114.—­HOOF TORN FROM THE FOOT BY ACCIDENT.]

’The dressing was ordered to be allowed to remain on all night, and on the following morning to be removed.  The foot was then bathed, as before, in warm water, and the application of the tinctures repeated night and morning.  The medicine internally given was castor oil, with tinct. opium, and this, in a diminished dose, was ordered the next morning.  Blood was also abstracted from the jugular vein, to the amount of 6 quarts, so as to allay the inflammatory fever set up.  The food consisted of bran and linseed, with small portions of hay and water.  The mare being in a highly excited state, and suffering such severe pain, the opinion Mr. Taylor gave was that, should she get over the first four days (which appeared quite uncertain), he had no doubt of her ultimately getting well, and also that she would have a perfect hoof formed.  It was now left for the owners’ consideration, whether they thought the mare worth her keep till such took place, the time mentioned by Mr. Taylor being four or five months.  She was seen again the fourth day after the accident, and was then found to be perfectly tranquil and feeding well; her pulse, which at the first visit could not be counted, was now not more than 65 beats in the minute.  On removing the dressings, the foot presented a very favourable appearance, the treatment therefore varied only in the application of a linseed-meal poultice over the former dressings of tinctures of opium and myrrh, confining the whole in a soft leather boot.  Diet as before, in addition to which give a few oats.  Should the bowels become constipated, repeat the castor oil without the opium.

’June 28.—­The animal was again seen, and appeared to be going on very favourably.  The poultices were directed to be discontinued, and the parts dressed every other day with sol. sulph. cupri, as the granulations were getting rather luxuriant.

’July 6.—­To-day she was found to have gone on so well, having two days before been removed from the slings, that it was thought justifiable to turn her out, protecting the foot with a boot, and ordering the dressings to be repeated.

’July 23.—­She was seen by me in the field, where I had the boot removed, and so much had she improved, that not less than 2 inches of crust, proceeding from the coronary ring, had been formed, and the foot looked remarkably healthy.

’It will be seen that the accident occurred on June 20, a fortnight after which time I observed the horny crust to be forming from the coronet, and the insensitive laminae at the same time, in which on every visit an increase of growth was perceptible, and it soon attained a thickness exceeding that of the other hoof, but which at the same time presented a more upright appearance.  It was not until three weeks after our first visit that any formation of new sole or frog was to be seen.  Of the two the sole was the first, being secreted by the sensitive sole, the growth proceeding from the heels.  In like manner the insensitive frog was being produced by the sensitive.