456 THE HORSE. 
some attendant. If, however, the horse is for sale, in which case the 
existence of a splint would be regarded with suspicion, or if lameness has 
shown itself, it will be necessary to adopt measures likely to effect the 
absorption of the morbid growth, and these are chiefly two :—lst. Sub- 
cutaneous scarification, or without, a seton, or the seton alone; and 2d. 
Counter-irritation by means of some form of blister. If the soft parts 
covering the splint are much inflamed, the horse should have his corn taken 
away, and a dose of physic given him, during which a wet bandage should 
be kept constantly applied, and indeed, in any case of splint severe enough 
to require operation, the cooling remedies mentioned above should be 
adopted beforehand. The operation is performed with a probe-pointed 
narrow knife, shaped like a scimitar, with the cutting edge on the convex 
side. A small opening is made in the skin about an inch below the 
splint, and just large enough to admit the knife, which is then introduced 
and pushed upwards with its flat side towards the skin, till it reaches the 
tumour, when the convex edge is turned towards this, and several exten- 
sive scarifications are made in the periosteum covering it, after which the 
knife is withdrawn and a fine seton-needle is introduced in its place, and 
passed upwards until it reaches above the splint, when it is pushed 
through, and the tape drawn out, and properly secured with a 
bandage. Of course the horse must be cast and properly secured 
before resorting to the knife. In the course of ten days or a fort- 
night, the tape may be withdrawn, and the splint will almost in- 
variably disappear. Sometimes the seton is tried without the scarifica- 
tion, but it is not nearly so successful, and is nearly as troublesome 
an operation. In most cases both these operations are unnecessary, and 
the application of the following blister (which has a tendency to pro- 
duce absorption, independently of its counter-irritative powers) will have 
the desired effect. 
Take of Biniodide of Mercury). . . . 1drachm 
ibewWl f Ao 3. 6-3 GF oe lounce. Mix, 
and after cutting the hair short, rub a little into the skin covering the 
splint, every night, until a free watery discharge is produced from the 
surface. To facilitate this the leg should be fomented with very hot 
water every morning and afternoon, and this should be continued for 
several days after the ointment has been discontinued. The horse will 
not gnaw the skin after this application, and it is a very useful one for 
general purposes, when counter-irritation is required to produce absorption. 
If, after a week’s interval, the splint does not appear much reduced in 
size, the ointment should be re-applied, and repeated at similar intervals 
till the swelling is removed. When the bony growth is very extensive, 
as shown in fig. 2, page 455, neither scarification nor counter-irritation wil! 
be of much service, and the leg must be fired, and afterwards repeatedly 
blistered, but even with the best and most energetic treatment, the part 
will seldom become sufficiently sound to stand anything but slow work. 
RINGBONE AND SIDEBONE. ; 
RINGBONE AND SIDEBONE both consist in the throwing out of bony 
matter about the joints of the os coronz ; the former name being given 
to the disease when it attacks that between it and the os suffraginis, and 
the latter when the seat is the parts around its union with the os pedis 
or coffin bone. Very often, and especially in heavy cart or dray horses, 
