STRAINS, | 473 
STRAIN OF THE COFFIN JOINT. 
DISSECTION PROVES that this joint is sometimes the seat of strain; but 
it is almost ims possible to ascertain its existence with certainty during life. 
‘The diagnosis is, however, not of much consequence, as the treatment will 
be the same, whether the coffin joint, or the navicular joint is the seat 
of the mischief. In any case, if severe, bleeding from the toe should be 
had recourse to, followed by cold applications around the coronet, by 
means of a strip of flannel or felt, tied loosely round the pastern, and kept 
constantly wet. When the heat has subsided, the coronet should be 
blistered. 
STRAIN OF THE SUSPENSORY LIGAMENTS. 
THE SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT not being elastic like the back sinews (which, 
though not in themselves extensible, are the prolongations of muscles 
which have that property), is very liable to strains, especially in the hunter, 
and to a less degree in the racehorse. On reference to pages 352-3, the 
inferior connexions of this part will be seen to be the two sesamoid bones, 
by a bifurcation of its substance, and as these bones support the pastern 
joints by the inferior sesamoideal ligaments, when the suspensory liga- 
ment is strained the whole apparatus is rendered useless, because the 
pain occasioned by the extension of the upper part prevents the horse from 
putting his weight upon the foot. The accident is readily made out, for 
there is local swelling and tenderness, and in the well-bred horse, which 
is alone likely to meet with a strain of this kind, the leg is rarely sufhi- 
ciently gummy to prevent the finger from making out the condition of the 
ligaments and tendons. ‘There is no giving way of the joints as in 
‘break down,” but on the contrary the leg is flexed, and if the case is a 
bad one, the toe only is allowed to touch the ground. In ordinary cases, 
however, there is merely slight swelling of the suspensory ligament in a 
limited spot usually near its bifurcation, or sometimes in one division 
only close above the sesamoid bone to which it is attached. The horse 
can stand readily on that leg, but on being trotted he limps a good deal. 
Sometimes, however, there is a swelling of the feet without lameness, but 
in this case the enlargement is generally due to an effusion of serum into 
the cellular covering of the ligament, and not to an actual strain of its 
fibres.—The treatment will depend greatly upon the extent of the mischief; 
if there is no great injury done, and the enlargement is chiefly from effusion 
of serum, rest and cold applications by means of bandages or otherwise 
will in the course of two or three months effect a cure. Generally, how- 
ever, the case will last six or eight months before the ligament recovers its 
tone, and in a valuable horse no attempt should be made to work him 
before that time. Where the swelling is small, as it generally is, bandages 
have no power over it, as the projection of the flexor tendons keeps the 
pressure off the injured part. Here, dipping the leg in a bucket of water 
every hour will be of far more service than a bandage, and the sudden 
shock of the cold water will be doubly efficacious. After all heat has dis- 
appeared the biniodide of mercury may be used as a blister two or three 
times, and then the horse may either be turned out, or put into a loose 
box for three or four months, after which walking exercise will complete 
the cure. 
STRAIN OF THE BACK SINEWS. 
In THIS ACCIDENT the position of the leg is the same as in strain of the 
suspensory ligament, and there is no giving way of the joints. ‘The flaxor 
