PATELLA. 169 



Causes. Injuries, or accident to the gland or its duct, 

 resulting in suppuration. From the mobility of the parts, 

 fistula is established. 



Treatment. Few horse doctors or farmers can cure this 

 affection. An expert or accomplished surgeon is only able 

 to eifect a cure, and this will be by closing the open or 

 fistulous duct, so that the saliva will, with the feed, find its 

 way into the stomach. 



India rubber dissolved in chloroform, applied over the 

 mouth of the wound, when it is thoroughly dry, will stop 

 it for a few days. By continuing this application, a cure 

 in very many cases can be made. 



Pathology. — A department of medical science which 

 treats of the causes and nature of disease, and of the 

 appearances of diseased parts when living or dead. 



Patella, Dislocation of the. — This is a common 

 occurrence in liigh spirited, nervous and weakly horses. 



Symptom. The horse stops, if at work, and throws up 

 his head, slightly bending the pastern of the dislocated leg, 

 and holding the leg back behind the body, being unable to 

 bring it under it. Fever and irritation sometimes accom- 

 panies this accident, more especially if it is of rare 

 occurrence in the animal. The oftener the patella has 

 been out, the less fever and irritation will be seen. There 

 are horses Avith which it is of frequent occurrence, and 

 happily for them, there is just as little trouble in putting 

 the leg in its place again ; a crack of the whip will do it 

 sometimes. This is a serious object, in an otherwise fancy 

 horse. There is but one other affection of the hind leg 

 which can be mistaken for it, and that is cramp, (which see.) 



Treatment. Remove the horse to a stable, attach a rope 

 to the pas-tern of the leg which is dislocated, carry the end 



