354 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



time "will turn up, yet still the lesion in one will be followed by its 

 occurrence in another. Commonly two feet, either the anterior or 

 posterior, are affected, and we recall one case in which the two fore 

 and one of the hind legs were included at the same time. The acci- 

 dent, however, is quite as liable to happen while' the horse is at rest 

 in his stall, and he may be found in the morning standing on his 

 fetlocks. One of the earliest of the cases occurring in my own expe- 

 rience had been under care for several weeks for suspected disease 

 of the fetlocks, the nature of which had not been made out, when, 

 apparentl}^ improved by the treatment which he had undergone, the 

 patient was taken out of the stable to be walked a short distance into 

 the country, but had little more than started Avhen he was called to 

 a halt by the fracture of the sesamoids of both fore legs. 



While there are no positive premonitory symptoms of these frac- 

 tures known, we believe that there are signs and symptoms which 

 come but little short of being so, and the appearance of Avhich will 

 always justify a strong suspicion of the truth of the case. These 

 have been indicated when referring to the soreness in standing, the 

 short, mincing gait, and the tenderness betrayed when pressure is 

 made over the sesamoids on the sides of the fetlock, with others less 

 tangible and definable. 



Progno&is. — These injuries can never be accounted less than seri- 

 ous, and in our judgment will never be other than fatal. If our 

 theory of their pathology is the correct one, and the cause of the 

 lesions is truly the softening of the sesamoidal bony structure and 

 independent of any changes in the ligamentous fibers, the possibility 

 of a solid osseous union can hardly be considered admissible. 



Treatment. — In respect to the treatment to be recommended and 

 instituted it can be employed only with anj^^ rational hope of benefit 

 during the incubation, and with the anticipatory purpose of preven- 

 tion. It must be suggested by a suspicion of the verities of the case, 

 and applied before any rupture has taken place. To prevent this 

 and to antagonize the causes which might precipitate the final catas- 

 trophe — the elevation of the toes — resort must be had to the slings 

 and to the application of firm bandages or splints, perhaps of plaster 

 of Paris, with a high shoe, as about the only indications which 

 science and nature are able to offer. "NAHien the fracture is an 

 occurred event, and the toes, one or more, are turned up, any further 

 resort to treatment will be futile. 



DISEASES OF JOINTS. 



Three classes of injury will be considered under this head. These 

 are, affections of the synovial sacs, those of the joint structures, or of 

 the bones and their articular surfaces, and those forms of solution of 

 continuitv known as dislocations or luxations. 



