48 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



CHAPTER I. 



OF SPLENT, BONE SPAVIN, RING BONE, AND ANCHYLOSIS. 



SPLENTS. 



Splents are bony excrescences, situated on 

 the inside of the fore leg ; they rarely occur on 

 the outside, and this in consequence of the 

 inside being more under the direct weight of 

 the Horse ; therefore, wlien the Horse has one 

 of his fore legs off the ground, there is more 

 weight thrown on the inside of the leg that is 

 on the ground ; consequently, the small bone 

 united to the shank bone has more work to 

 perform than the outer one, from the super- 

 abundant weight it has to sustain ; hence 

 inflammation is frequently set up in the 

 attachment of the large to the small bone,^ 

 which is of a cartilaginous substance, and 

 easily takes on a disposition to form bone 

 on the slightest exertion ; for splent will fre- 

 quently occur with Horses that never have 

 done a day's work ; but when young, racing 

 about the fields, when at grass, will produce 

 splent, and when it does occur from these 

 causes, it seldom occasions lameness, as the 

 cold atmosphere they continually are in, acts 

 as a sedative, and reduces the inflammation, 

 and with that the pain that would be occa- 

 sioned, if splent arose from travelling on hard 

 roads. Splents arising from travelling, the 



inflammation being much more increased, id 

 consequence of having to lay in a warm 

 stable, that it is frequently, though not above 

 tht, size of half a pea, and with great difficulty 

 to discover, will occasion the most acute lame- 

 ness. Another cause of splent, arising from 

 the speedy cut, which is just under the knee ; 

 and I have known this to proceed on so far, 

 that valuable Horses, good hackneys, have been 

 doomed to slow work the remainder of their 

 lives ; and this in consequence of it interfering 

 with the bones of the knee, or proceeding in- 

 wards, and by which means affecting the 

 suspensory ligament. The remedies for splents 

 are now more humane, and have the best effect, 

 than those formerly in use. The practice at 

 the Royal Veterinary College, is to divide the 

 skin above and below the enlarged bone, then 

 pass a seton immediately over it, change and 

 dress the seton, consisting of coarse tape, 

 every day with digestive ointment made as 

 follows : — 



Take Hogg's Lard - - - (j oz. 

 Common Turpentine - 2 do. 



Another method to allay the irritation occa- 

 sioned by splent, was practised at the College, 

 which was to cut down on the top of the 



