LECTURES AND ESSAYS. 469 



its stages, must have noticed that this atrophy (wasting) of the muscles is a 

 common accompaniment of chronic cases. The spavined horse, when trot- 

 ting slowly (which is the proper gait to see the lameness plainly) will step 

 upon its toe ; dig it as it were into the ground. 



With the foregoing symptoms presented, the examination to confirm the 

 disease must now be continued by inspection of the seat of the 

 complaint. If only one leg is affected as is generally the case, the 

 examiner should stand about three feet from the horse's shoulder, 

 and look carefully to see if any marked irregularity exists at the 

 seat of the disease. Some horses are naturally rough at this point. 

 So first one leg should be examined then the other, and if they are both 

 alike and the horse goes sound they may be looked upon as safe. In making 

 an examination of this kind, if the horse's leg is rough and hairy, it is a 

 good plan to sponge the part, so that the wet hairs will lie close to the skin, 

 and any irregularity of outline is much more easily detected. The hand 

 should now be passed down the inside of the leg and the part carefully 

 manipulated with the end of the fingers, taking care to notice any difference 

 in temperature of one hock or the other, for there is a form of this 

 disease termed occult spavin, where there may not be any external enlarge- 

 ment, yet the hock-joint lameness is severe and difficult to get rid of. 

 This is a form of spavin which is most puzzling to amateurs, and often 

 causes them to make up their minds that the trouble is in the hip, espe- 

 cially when the wasting, before alluded to, occurs, but the inflammation of 

 the part, with the history of the case, materially assists one in forming an 

 opinion. To thoroughly appreciate the symptoms of this disease, one should 

 watch carefully the progress of several individual cases. In making an 

 examination of the hocks, prior to purchase, one must be careful .not to be 

 misled by a fresh wound over the seat of the disease, for the skin has more 

 than once been abraded by dishonest venders, and the explanation made to 

 the purchaser that " the horse got its leg over a trace-chain ;(?) or got kicked 

 by another animal ;(?) and that things would be all right when the wound 

 healed ;(?)" when, in reality, the wound has been made for the purpose of 

 practicing deception. 



Treatment. 



The operator must bear in mind that this is an incurable disease, and that 

 removal of the lameness is all that ip to be looked for, although cases will 

 occur where even the enlargement will subside, to a considerable extent, 

 with the lameness; but those conversant with what is termed archylosis 

 (union of bones) well know that the disease still exists. The union of the 

 different bones affected is the object of rational treatment, and to do 

 this various remedies are applied, in the shape of what are called counter- 

 irritants. These consist of various kinds of blisters ; also setons are some- 

 times used. The firing iron is looked upon by many as the quickest and 

 surest way of getting rid of the lameness, and the operation, if properly per- 

 formed, often reflects credit upon the operator. 



There are several modes of operating, according to the fancy of 

 the practitioner. For amateurs, who are not within reach of a 

 qualified veterinarian, perhaps the blistering process is the safest 

 and best form of treatment, and maybe there is none better than 



