DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 61 



The transformation to the one-toed animal is not even 

 yet complete, for the young horse has quite a respectable 

 remnant of the two lateral toes still in existence. This 

 is true also of fetal life. But it may be asserted that 

 the horse is fast arriving at the stage where there will 

 be no separate splint bones, and therefore no necessity 

 for them to become consolidated in order to have a 

 stronger toe to stand the great weight and severe 

 strains and concussion of hard work. 



Splints may be considered as additions of bony mat- 

 erial to the leg, thrown out by na-ture to strengthen the 

 limb that has been found too weak to withstand the la- 

 bor required of it. The addition of this material is 

 sometimes carried on so gradually that 110 lameness re- 

 sults, while at other times, especially when young 

 horses are put to violent exercise, an intense inflamma- 

 tion is set up and great lameness is the result, which 

 sometimes continues for several weeks, or until the 

 process of deposition of the new bone is completed. 

 We may safely say, therefore, that inheritance and ac- 

 tive straining or concussiop are the great causes of 

 splint lameness. 



Symptoms. If they develop very slowly, it will fre- 

 quently be noticed that splints will be found on the in- 

 side of the leg without the owner having observed any 

 lameness or other symptoms that indicated disease of 

 the limb. If it is caused by active concussion, there 

 will often be considerable pain on pressure, and great 

 lameness, which is more pronounced when going down 

 hill. 



Treatment. When detected early, the horse should 

 be taken from work and an application of HEAKD'S AMEKI- 



