176 DR. LEGEAR'S STOCK BOOK. 



t liat it will not be formed again. Stiff-joint is caused by the 

 inflammation forming a bony deposit about the joint, which 

 forms anchylosis (stiff joint). The joints most liable to this in- 

 jury are the stifle, ankle, hock, and knee. There are little bur- 

 sae (membranes) that secrete synovia to lubricate the tendons- 

 (leaders) where they ply over joints and prominent places. Some- 

 times these are opened and by the synovia (oil) running out of a 

 wound might lead a person to suspect open joint. This is not 

 open joint nor nowhere near as bad an injury. 



Causes. The causes of this trouble are generally some kind of 

 an injury, as kicks, blows of any kind, falls, punctures, etc. It 

 is often caused by unprofessional parties trying to perform some 

 surgical operation in the region of a joint by cutting into the 

 joint and allowing the synovia to escape. Any person not thor- 

 oughly familiar with the anatomy of the joints should never cut 

 into one under any consideration. The worst form of open joint 

 is where it is caused by a kick, or by an animal falling on his 

 knees and cutting them wide open. This form of injury not only 

 opens the joint, but bruises and lacerates the tissues, causing very 

 severe inflammation and extensive sloughing of the parts. 



Symptoms. In a case caused by a sharp instrument, as a knif e r 

 pitchfork, etc., penetrating the joint there may not be any severe- 

 symptoms for one or two days. The synovia (joint oil) runs out, 

 air gets into the joint, irritation and severe inflammation follow, 

 accompanied by great swelling, and the suffering of the animal 

 becomes most agonizing, and, unless speedily checked, death is 

 certain. Joint oil is a clear fluid, of a watery, oily nature, and 

 will coagulate (thicken) on the edges of the wound on becoming 

 exposed to the air. At first the discharge is clear joint-water, 

 but later on it becomes mixed with pus, and in some cases 

 streaked with blood. When pus and blood escape in any great 

 quantity, there is very liable to be stiff-joint. The animal has a 



