196 THE VETERINARY SCIENCE. 



soreness leaves, and this is what is called a cure. Of course;, 

 after it is cured, the motion of that joint is gone, and the anmiat 

 does not have quite as fnee action as before the leg- was affected, 

 but will be very useful for years after. In order to get a rea! 

 good idea about this, examine some ringbone, after a horse dies, 

 that was cured, and it will give you an idea how the bones unite.- 

 In all cases first have the foot pared down to its natural shape, 

 and have the toe cut off very short and keep it cut short after- 

 wards ; this throws the strain off the joint. Cut the hair off the- 

 enlargement, if it is long, and blister with the following: 



Biniodid of Mercury or Red Precipitate 2 drams. 



Vaseline or Lard 1 ounce. 



Mix well together. There will be enough in this receipt tO' 

 blister an ordinary ringbone two or three times, according to the 

 size of it. Apply one-third of the blister and rub in thoroughly — 

 the more you rub the better it will work — and grease the third 

 day after blistering, and keep on blistering every three weeks 

 until it is cured and follow out the same directions as the first 

 blister ; each time before you blister wash off the parts with warm 

 water and soap. If, in the course of a few months, this does not 

 help him, "fire" him. Use the same kind of a firing iron as that 

 used in firing a spavin. Place a twitch on his nose and have one 

 of his front legs held up, and when your irons are red hot burn 

 all around the ringbone in streaks — running up and down — three- 

 quarters of an inch apart ; don't burn too severe, just enough t© 

 leave white seam where you run the iron. In doing this take your 

 time and do not lean heavy on the iron. After you fire, leave it six 

 days and blister the same as above mentioned anc follow out the 

 same directions. If the horse will not stand, throw him the same 

 as you would if you were going to castrate him. Don't get dis- 

 couraged if he does not get better right away, for it generally 

 takes from six months to a year, and even longer in bad cases. 

 In colts the treatment is just the same, only not quite so severe, 

 and will vary according to the size of the animal. 



BONE SPAVIN. 



A spavin is a disease affecting the bones of the hock joint,, 

 and generally throws out a bony enlargement on the inside of the 

 hock joint. When the spavin is inside of joint and does not show 

 itself outside in the form of an enlargement it is then called an 

 occult spavin. They are divided into high-up spavins and low- 

 own, or what is co im only called jack spavins. 



