806 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



Capped Ankles. This difficulty is generally produced by the same cause as capped 

 hocks, and the treatment should be the same. 



Capped Elbow. (Shoe boil.) This is a tumor, formed just behind the shoulder, 

 caused by the pressure against the calk or heel of the shoe while the horse is lying down. 

 The best treatment is first to remove the cause by the changing or shortening the calks of 

 the shoe, or by the use of pads in the stable that will protect this part of the body. If the 

 tumor contains pus, it will be best to open it, and allow it to discharge, afterwards washing 

 out the wound with castile soap and warm water, and allow it to heal. 



If the tumor is hard, seems separate from the skin, and shows no signs of pus forma 

 tion, it may be carefully removed with a sharp knife, and the location treated as a common 

 wound. If callous simply, the washes or ointments recommended for spavin will prove 

 beneficial, but it will require some time and repeated applications to remove the blemish. 



Capped Hock. The point of the hock is sometimes injured by the horse kicking in 

 the stable, hard blows received in this locality, etc. It sometimes occurs from lying upon an 

 unevenly paved stable with but little bedding. In such cases, there generally appears a soft, 

 watery tumor, which is the enlargement of the mucus sack. 



When the injary is not very severe, making cooling applications will sometimes prove 

 beneficial, to be followed by the use of iodine ointment. Blistering will sometimes prove 

 necessary, and quite beneficial, to be repeated after the skin is healed, if the first is not effect 

 ual. In extreme cases, where the tumor is large and does not yield to other treatment, a 

 seaton is sometimes passed through it, and kept open until the discharge becomes somewhat 

 of the nature of pus, after which wash with castile soap and warm water, and permit it to 

 heal. 



Colic. This is a very common disease among horses, and frequently proves fatal. 

 There are two forms of it, spasmodic and flatulent colic. The former, as its name indicates, is 

 of a spasmodic nature, and sometimes terminates fatally in inflammation of the bowels. 



The causes of spasmodic colic are the drinking of cold water when the animal is in a 

 heated condition; sometimes exposure to cold winds or draft when heated; costiveness; 

 unwholesome food ; green food given in too large quantities when the animal is not accus 

 tomed to it or when he is heated will sometimes cause it; feeding with new corn will not unfre- 

 quently produce it; also an overcrowding of the stomach with food of any kind. Hard 

 water will cause the colic in some horses. There also seems to be a predisposition to it in cer 

 tain cases, and a horse that has once had it is quite liable to have it again. When recovering 

 from the colic, a horse should be fed on warm bran mashes, and be allowed to drink only 

 water that is blood-warm, for two or three days, as cold water might bring it on again. 



Symptoms of spasmodic colic. Youatt thus describes the symptoms of spasmodic colic, 

 also the method of distinguishing it from inflammation of the bowels, as follows: 



&quot;The attack of colic is usually very sudden. There is often not the slightest warning. 

 The horse begins to shift his posture, look round at his flanks, paw violently, strike his belly 

 with his feet, lie down, roll, and that frequently on his back. In a few minutes the pain 

 seems to cease, the horse shakes himself and begins to feed; but on a sudden the spasm 

 returns more violently, every indication of pain is increased, he heaves at the flanks, breaks 

 out in a profuse perspiration, and throws himself more violently about. In the space of an 

 hour or two, either the spasms begin to relax and the remissions are longer in duration, or the 

 torture is augmented at every paroxysm, the intervals of ease are fewer and less marked, and 

 inflammation and death supervene. 



