254 BROKEN KNEES. 



removed from the centre of motion, in either of which cases mu«h 

 power will be gained. 



BROKEN KNEES. 



The treatment of broken knees is a subject of considerable 

 mportance, for many horses are sadly blemished, and others are 

 destroyed, by wounds in the knee-joint. The horse, when falling, 

 naturally throws his knees forward ; they receive all his weight, 

 and are sometimes very extensively lacerated. The first thing 

 to be done is, by very careful washing with warm water, to 

 cleanse the wound from all gravel and dirt. It must then be 

 ascertained whether the joint is penetrated. The grating of the 

 probe on one of the bones of the knee, or the depth to which 

 the probe enters the wound, will too plainly indicate that the 

 joint has been opened. Should any doubt exist, a linseed-meal 

 poultice must be applied. This will at least act as a fomenta- 

 tion to the wound, and will prevent or abate inflammation ; and 

 when, twelve hours afterwards, it is taken ofl^, the sy7iovia or 

 ioint-oil, in the form of a glairy, yellowish, transparent fluid, 

 will be seen, if the capsular ligament has been penetrated. 

 Should doubt remain after the first poultice, a second ought 

 to be applied. 



It having been ascertained that the interior of the joint is not 

 injured, attention must be paid to the wound that is actually made. 

 The horse should wear a cradle to prevent his getting at the 

 wound. A stimulating application — the common black-oil of 

 the farrier is as good as any — should be lightly applied every 

 day, until healthy pus is produced on the wound, and then a little 

 friar's balsam will probably eflect a cure. 



The opening of the joint, however, being ascertained, the first 

 and immediate care is to close the orifice ; for the fluid which 

 separated and lubricated the bones of the knee being sufl^ered to 

 escape, they will be brought into contact with and will rub upon 

 each other ; the delicate* membrane with which they are covered 

 will be highly inflamed ; the constitution will be speedily 

 aflected, and a degree of fever will ensue that will destroy the 

 horse : while, in the meantime, of all the tortures that can be- 

 inflicted on the poor animal, none can equal that which accom- 

 panies inflammation of the membranes lining the joints. 



The manner of closing the orifice must be left to the judg- 

 ment of the veterinary surgeon, who alone is capable of properly 

 treating such a case. It may be efiected by a compress enclos- 

 ing the whole of the wound, and not to be removed for many 

 days ; or it may be attempted by the old and generally successful 

 method of applying the hot iron over the wound, and particularly 



