194 THE VETERINARY SCIENCE. 



SIDE BONE. 



This is ossification, or turning- into bone, ot the lateral 

 cartilag-es of the foot ; these are two cartilages, one situated on 

 each side of the foot, and by pressing- on them at each side of the 

 foot, just above the hoof, you can move them in and out, that is 

 when they are in their healthy state, but when they become 

 diseased or chang-ed into bone, they become enlarged and you 

 cannot move them at all. This disease is more often met with in 

 heavy breeds of horses, but it is sometimes met with in light 

 horses, when it is harder to treat and more of a detriment to them 

 on account of being used for fast work. 



Causes. — From hard work, as a general thing. 



Symptoms. — In heavy horses, they are not lame in some 

 cases, just the enlargement at each side of the foot, just above 

 the hoof, but in severe cases there may be lameness. In light 

 horses, used for drawing, the first symptom noticed is lameness, 

 afterwards followed with the enlargement at the sides of the foot, 

 just above the hoof. 



Treatment. — Rest the animal as much as you can, and, if in 



the summer, bathe the foot well with cold water and salt twice a 



a day; after bathing each time, wipe dry and apply the white 



liniment. If it is in the winter, bathe with warm water and salt, 



and also poultice with half linseed meal and bran; put the 



poultice on as warm as you can without burning the animal, and 



each time after bathing and poulticing, rub with white liniment, 



the same as mentioned above. After you get the soreness and 



lameness out by the above treatment, blister with the following 



receipt : 



Biniodid of Mercury or Red Precipitate 2 drams. 



Vaseline or Lard 1 ounce. 



Mix well together and there is enough in this receipt to 



blister a small side bone four times. Apply quarter of the blister 



and rub in thoroughly, leave it for three days and then grease 



with lard, and allow it to go for two or three weeks, then wash 



the parts clean with luke warm water and soap, and blister again, 



just the same as the first time; repeat the blisters until the 



lameness is entirely gone and the side bone stops growing. In 



buying a horse always examine him closely for side bones, 



especially if it is a heavy horse. In cases where you want to 



work the animal shoe him with a bar shoe. 



