9O MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY 



stances it will be but proper to destroy the animal, 

 and relieve him from the torture which always accom- 

 panies aggravated cases of broken knees : for high 

 fever is almost always induced, of which he is nearly 

 certain to die ; or if he survives it, the inflammation of 

 the parts will result in a growth of bone and a stiff 

 knee-joint. 



To enable a person to judge of the exact situation 

 of the wound in broken knees, he should have a 

 thorough knowledge of the structure and situation of 

 the bones of the knee-joint, which is the most compli- 

 cated of all the bony structure of the horse. Between 

 the lower termination of the bone of the arm and the 

 superior portion of the leg-bones, there are interposed 

 seven other bones, called the carpal bones. Six of 

 these are arranged in two rows of three each, and the 

 seventh is placed behind the others. Should the 

 wound be situated opposite the bottom row, and if its 

 dimensions are small, then there will be little difficulty 

 in closing it ; and even a pretty large one is fre- 

 quently successfully cured, as there is but limited 

 motion in that part. But if it is situate opposite the 

 union of the two rows, its remedy is much more 

 uncertain, in consequence of this being the seat of the 

 chief motion of the joint, which has a tendency to 

 disunite the lips of the wound, and also induces most 

 irritating friction between the bones, which would 

 become in close contact with each other, in con- 

 sequence of the expenditure of the joint-oil. 



When the skin has been broken, it is always 

 visible afterwards, but the extent of the blemish will 

 depend greatly upon the treatment of the wound in 

 its early stages. Caustic applications should invari- 

 ably be avoided, as they always leave behind them 

 a greater blemish. But should the mark left be of 



