18 THE VETERINARY SCIENCE, 



The Coccygeal, or Muscles of the Tail.— In these we find four 



important ones — one situated on the upper side of the tail when it 

 is straig-ht out, its action is to raise the tail ; two are situated one 

 on each side of the tail, they have the power of drawing- the tail to 

 either side ; the last one we mention is situated under the tail and 

 is the smallest one of the four, its action is to draw the tail down. 

 The Shoulder Muscles are very large and powerful ones. 

 There are only three of great importance, viz.: The two situated 

 on the outside of the shoulder blade ; these are important as they 

 are the seat of the disease called sweeny. The other important 

 one is that which passes down over the shoulder joint through 

 the groove or pulley-like surface on the shoulder bone. This is a 

 long, powerful muscle, attached above to the lower end of the 

 shoulder blade, down through the groove mentioned to the upper 

 part of the bone to the fore arm, or radius, at the front side. Its 

 chief point of importance rests in its action in raising the front leg, 

 where it passes through the pulley-like surface mentioned, when it 

 becomes injured or diseased ; it is also the seat of shoulder joint 

 lameness. 



Muscles of Front Leg, from shoulder down, are divided into 

 two separate kinds, viz. : the extensor and flexor muscles. 



The extensor muscles are the ones which bring the leg forward. 

 These muscles, above, are attached to the bones around the 

 elbow joint, passing down in front of the arm bones. About 

 three inches above the knee they become changed into the 

 tendinous part of these muscles, or what is called the cords of the 

 leg. Some of them are attached to the knee joint, while others 

 pass over the front of the joint and are held down to their place 

 by a band or ligament, forming a loop, as it were, for this muscle 

 to glide in when the leg is in action. Each one of these loops, 

 where the muscles pass through, are supplied with a synovial 

 membrane to secrete the synovia, or oil, which lubricate it during 

 .action, the same as in the joint. This is a point of importance, 

 :as sometimes, on account of injury or strain of this part of the 

 joint where the muscle plays through, we find a small puflfy 

 enlargement containing oil secreted by the synovial membrane. 

 This disease is what is called a bursal enlargement. 



The flexor muscles are the ones situated at the back part of 

 the leg, attached above to the back part of the elbow joint, passing 

 downwards at the back part of the leg. About two or three 



