208 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



beyond its being more extensive, interfering, perhaps, with 

 the flow of blood in the sub-cutaneous (under the skin) 

 vein, which is seen in front, and partly to the side of the 

 joint, adding very little to the general swelling. 



Causes. Hard work and fast driving, especially when 

 horses are young. 



Treatment. The application of the ointment of red 

 iodide of mercury, in the hands of some, has done much 

 good ; but the enlargement is apt to return when the horse 

 is again put to work, from the fact that more joint-oil, or 

 fluid is poured out. Acupuncturation, or forcing small 

 steel instruments into the swelling to let out the fluid, is 

 sometimes resorted to, after which a bandage or truss is 

 fitted to the part to press out the fluid that remains, and to 

 cause the adhesion of the parts together. The difficulty in 

 curing soft spavin, is the danger of opening into a cavity 

 or joint containing oil (synovia). An old way of treating 

 such disease, is by striking the parts with a mallet, so as to 

 break the skin, that the fluid can escape ; the blow given 

 to the skin being so great as to set up adhesive inflamma- 

 tion, and a closure of the opening. 



(3.) Bone Spavin. — Consists in the sprouting out of 

 irregular bony matter from the bones of the joint, 

 preventing their smooth and proper action over one an- 

 other, and causing lameness. This bony growth sometimes 

 attains a good size, and in some cases we find one or two 

 of the bones only involved ; in others nearly all of them 

 are affected. The situation of bone spavin is on the inside, 

 and in front of the joint. 



Symptoms. When horses are what is called breeding 

 bone spavin, ordinarily persons think and say the lameness 

 is in the hip, (see Hock) from the action which is reflected 

 by the muscles of the hip at every movement made by the 



