DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE. 213 



ireatment. — in most cases it is best to destroy the animal, 

 but if you attempt to treat it, keep the animal quiet and bathe 

 with luke warm water twice a day. After bathing-, apply the 

 white liniment ; this is to keep down the swelling- and inflamma- 

 tion. The treatment in this case is of very little success. The 

 parts become badly swollen and the animal is in severe pain, and 

 it is best to have him destroyed. 



INJURIES AND SPRAINS OF THE KNEE. 



Causes. — Generally from the animal falling- and hurting the 

 knees. 



Symptoms. — The animal cannot bend the knee in walking, 

 and when you handle it, it seems very sore. 



Treatment. — Keep the animal quiet, and bathe twice a day 



with luke warm water and salt, and after bathing apply the white 



liniment; but if the knee is cut, use the white lotion after bathing-] 



If the cut is larg-e, put a few stitches in it, and treat as above 



mentioned. 



STRIKING THE KNEE (SPEEDY CUT). 



This is where the animal strikes the knee with the opposite foot. 



Causes. — This is caused g-enerally by bad shoeing-, or using 

 too heavy a shoe on colts; some horses with high action have a 

 tendency to strike the knees. 



Symptoms. — There is swelling on the inside of the knee ; it is 

 very painful, and as soon as you go to handle it the animal will 

 jerk his knee away from you. In some cases it becomes very 

 much swollen and forms matter in it. When the horse is walking, 

 in bringing his leg forward he will swing it out and can hardly get 

 along, it being so sore ; while in other cases, where he does not 

 strike it so severe, the inside of the knee becomes thickened and hard. 



Treatment. — Leave the animal off work, and bathe the parts 



well with luke warm water and salt two or three times a day; the 



more bathing the better. Each time after bathing, rub dry and 



apply the white liniment. If there is matter formed, open it up 



with a sharp knife to allow the matter to run out, then treat as 



above mentioned. After it is healed up, if there is a thickening, 



blister the thickening with the following: 



Pulverized Cantharides or Spanish Fly 2 drams. 



Vaseline or Lard 1 dram. 



Mix well and rub what you can nicely get on over the 



swelling; rub in well and grease the third day; let it go for a 



:;ouple of weeks, then blister again, and repeat the blistering 



