PECULIAR TO PT0RSE9. CI 



animals of the " rickety" or " rachetic" diathesis are more prone to 

 an aj^gravated form of the malady than otliers not so constituted ; 

 and in the former case the bones of the whole body arc found to bo 

 deficient in animal matter, and rich in earthy matter, and other bones 

 of the body are found to be incrusted with earthy deposits, so that, 

 in some cases, the affection may be of a constitutional character. 



Cause of Ringbone. — Ringbone often owes its origin to heredi- 

 tary influences, transmitted, either directly or incUreotly / it is not 

 often, however, that the malady appears as the direct result of sex- 

 ual intercourse between animals, one or both of which may be 

 aftected ; yet there are cases on record going to show, that the 

 disease has often been observed to occur in colts that have not even 

 been trained, nor submitted to the ordinary exciting causes which 

 are operative in inauguratmg the disease in the predisposed subject. 

 During my professional career, in this country, many cases of King- 

 bone, occurring during colthood, have attracted my attention; hence 

 I infer that the malady can be directly transmitted. 



Mr. Percival relates that his attention to the hereditary origin oi 

 ringbone was first aroused from a remark made by an extensive 

 dealer in horses, in reply to a question put to him, how it happened 

 that but few ringbones were met with, compared to the number that 

 attracted notice in times past. The reply was : " Because no breeder 

 of horses now-a-days, will send a mare to a horse having ringbone." 

 A very good example for American breeders to follow, for the mal- 

 ady is very prevalent in this country. 



Horses predisposed to ringbone are bony-legged animals, with 

 short and upright pasterns. The direct cause of ringbone in such 

 animals is ligamentary sprains, induced by over-work, &c. 



Treatment of Ringbone. — The whole theory of the treatment 

 may be contained in a nutshell. Keep the animal at rest and apply 

 counter irritants of iodine or ccintharides. Should, however, the 

 lameness be very considerable and the animal appear to suffer much 

 pain, then I should rub the affected parts with equal parts of spirits 

 of camphor and sulphuric aether. After the treatment has ceased, 

 the owner of the animal must exercise patience, for it will require 

 some time for nature to perfect the cure. 



TREATMENT OF GALLED BACK 



As soon as an abrasion is discovered on the back of a horse, the 

 animal should be excused from duty for a few days; the abraded 

 parts should be dressed twice daily with a portion of tincture of 

 aloes and myrrh. This simple treatment will soon heal the parts. 



Should there be no abrasion, but a simple swelling, attended with 

 heat, pain and tenderness, tlie parts should be frequently sponged 

 with cold water. Occasionally the sl^in undergoes the process of 

 hardening, (induration.) This is a condition of the parts known to 

 the farriers of old as " sitfast," and the treatment is as follows : pro- 

 cure one ounce of iodine ointment, and smear the itidurated spot 

 with a portion of the same, twice daily. 



