anger, all tend to impart an unfavorable
cast to the prognosis of a case and to emphasize the importance and the
value of an early discovery of its presence and possible growth. Even
when the discovery has been made, it is often the case that the truth
has come to light too late for effectual treatment. Months may have
elapsed after the first manifestation of the lameness before a discovery
has been made of the lesion from which it has originated, and there is
no recall for the lapsed time. And by the uncompromising seriousness of
the discouraging prognosis must the energy and severity of the treatment
and the promptness of its administration be measured. The periostitis
has been overlooked; any chance that might have existed for preventing
its advance to the chronic stage has been lost; the osseous formation is
established; the ringbone is a fixed fact, and the indications are
urgent and pressing.

_Treatment._--The preventive treatment consists in keeping colts well
nourished and in trimming the hoof and shoeing to balance the foot
properly and thus prevent an abnormal strain on the ligaments. Even
after the ringbone has developed, a cure may sometimes be occasioned by
proper shoeing directed toward straightening the axis of the foot as
viewed from the side by making the wall of the hoof from the coronet to
the toe continuous with the line formed by the front of the pastern. So
long as inflammation of the periosteum and ligaments remains, a sharp
blister of biniodid of mercury and cantharides may do good if the animal
is allowed to rest for four or five weeks. If this fails, some success
may be accomplished by point firing in two or three lines over the
ringbone. It is necessary to touch the hot iron well into the bone, as
superficial firing does little good. When all these measures have failed
to remove the lameness, or when the animal is not worth a long and
uncertain treatment, a competent veterinarian should be engaged to
perform double neurectomy, high or low, of the plantar nerves, or
neurectomy of the median nerve as indicated by the seat of the lesion.

SIDEBONES.

On each side of the bone of the hoof--the coffinbone--there are normally
two supplementary organs which are called the cartilages of the foot.
They are soft, and though in a degree elastic, yet somewhat resisting,
and are implanted on the lateral wings of the coffinbone. Evidently
their office is to assist in the elastic expansion and contractio