DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE. 223 



third day and let it alone for three or tour weeks, then blister as 



before. Let the animal have a good rest by turning him out to 



pasture. 



BLOOD SPAVIN. 



This is an enlargement of the vein which runs down in front 

 of the hock joint. 



Causes. — From a weakened state of the wall of the vein. 



SymptOniS. — There is an enlargement of the vein, but the 

 animal is not lame, nor it does not hurt the animal for any kind of 

 work, but it is an eye sore. 



Treatment.— There is no treatment for it. 



OPEN JOINT. 



This may affect any of the joints of the legs or body, and 

 from some injury the joint becomes punctured, allowing the joint 

 oil to leak out. 



Causes. — Generally from a kick, or prod with a fork, or run- 

 ning against some sharp obstacle. 



Symptoms. — There will be lameness and swelling around the 

 injured joint and leaking from the hole, of an oily looking sub- 

 stance which is the synovia or joint oil. If the leaking is not 

 stopped, inflammation gets into the joint and destroys the joint, 

 and if the horse does get better, it leaves him with a stiff joint. 



Trea^">ieilt. — The larger the joint the more troublesome it is 

 to treat, and the more danger there is of loosing the animal. Do 

 not bathe or apply any liniment, for it only increases the flow of 

 the joint oil. If the case is taken in time by applying Monsell's solu- 

 tion of iron in and around the hole every couple of hours with a 

 feather, in most cases it will completely check the running of the oil, 

 and the animal will recover all right. This is the best treatment 

 known for open joint. In cases where the hole is very large and 

 the bone injured, it is best to destroy the animal. Keep the 

 animal quiet and feed on soft food with plenty of boiled flaxseed in 

 it to keep the bowels open. Sometimes after the joint seems 

 healed up for a couple of weeks it will break out again ; treat this 

 the same as at the first time until it closes the hole up. After the 

 joint is healed up and it is still swollen, bathe with cold water and 

 salt once a day, and bandage for a couple of hours after bathing, 

 and every third day, after taking off the bandage, rub the joint 

 well with acid liniment. 



