Foot and Limb Troubles. 243 



etc. Owing to the action of the muscles attached, union 

 of the parts is rare, generally a fibrous joint is the 

 result (see Fractures) in other cases the parts do not 

 unite and an operation has to be performed to remove the 

 loose piece of bone. A somewhat similar deformity is 

 that due to fracture of the point of the bone of the but- 

 tock, just below the root of the tail, to detect the lesion 

 one has to stand to one side of the animal, and in dropped 

 hip behind. Pain and swelling, together with lameness, 

 and occasionally formation of pus aid in the detection of 

 these lesions due to accident. 



Stifle out (luxation of the patella) exists in two forms, 

 the partial and complete; the former usually in young 

 colts, the result of heredity; stallions poorly muscled 

 through the stifles get such stock; the latter in older ani- 

 mals, the result of an accident. In young colts the bone 

 will be seen to slip in and out, a clicking noise being 

 made at each step ; for such cases a mild blister repeated 

 at two- week intervals will often aid the young patient. 

 To avoid such cases feed well, do not keep on very hilly 

 pastures, and avoid, making the foal follow its dam dur- 

 ing the day while working. The construction (anatomy) 

 of the parts will aid in understanding this trouble 

 and the means of reduction. In partial dislocations in 

 grown horses a sharp crack of a whip will startle the 

 animal and the bone will fly into place, in other cases 

 (complete dislocation) it will be necessary to place a 

 rope around the fetlock of the affected limb, and have an 

 assistant to draw the limb well forward, the hand being 

 used to press the bone forward and inwards at the same 

 time, when it will usually fly into place with a sharp 



