248 Veterinary Elements. 



see the back line of the leg in profile. The causes of this 

 trouble are many, jumping and slipping, going up steep 

 inclines, and more especially conformation, the result of 

 heredity. Horsemen often speak of curby (sickle) hocks, 

 such a conformation is especially liable to curb, and is readily 

 transmitted to the progeny by an affected sire. The lever- 

 age exerted in connection with the hock joint is very 

 powerful, the ground being the fulcrum; the weight, the 

 resistance of the head of the lower thigh bone; the power, 

 the muscles of the gaskin (lower thigh) attached to the 

 point of the hock. The tendency to curb will be increased 

 by (1) work too severe for the strength of the lever, (2) 

 by disease or immaturity having rendered the parts une- 

 qual to the strain, (3) by the surface for attachment 

 of the ligaments being too small, a tied-in hock, (4) 

 by the muscles of the gaskin being very strong, (5) by 

 the presence of a large angle formed by the direction of 

 the weight and lever, as in the sickle hock. It is an un- 

 soundness and a very bad defect in stallions; is probably 

 commoner in light than heavy horses; lameness is shown 

 in the earlier stages as a rule. The application of a high- 

 heeled shoe and the red mercurial blister (biniodide of 

 mercury 1 to 4 of lard) will generally overcome the 

 trouble; if the lameness and enlargement persist, the 

 veterinarian should be asked to fire the parts. 



Stringhalt is a disease of a tendon of the hind limb, it 

 used to be classed as a purely nervous affection. The 

 affected parts (tendons) undergo severe contractions as 

 a result of inflammation of those tendons. The exag- 

 gerated flexing of the hock, more quickly than natural, 

 and high lifting of the fuot seen when the animal is 



