112 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



If the cut in the joint be large, and the joint-oil continues 

 to exude from it, and the horse exhibit symptoms of suffer- 

 ing much pain, it may be considered that the wound has 

 become incurable ; and under the circumstances, it will be 

 but proper to destroy the animal, and relieve him from 

 the torture which always accompanies aggravated cases of 

 broken knees : for high fever is almost always induced, of 

 which he is nearly certain to die ; or if he survives it, the 

 inflammation of the parts will induce a deposit of matter 

 in the cavity of the joint, and this becoming fixed, produces 

 lameness, for v/hich there is no remedy. 



To enable a person to judge of the exact situation of 

 the wound in broken knees, he should have a thorough 

 knowledge of the structure and situation of the bones of the 

 knee-joint, which is the most complicated of all the bony 

 structure of the horse. Between the lower termination of 

 the bone of the arm, and the superior portion of the leg- 

 bones, there are interposed seven other bones, called the 

 carpal bones. Six of these are arranged in two rows of 

 three each, and the seventh is placed behind the others. 

 Should the wound be situated opposite the bottom row, and 

 if its dimensions are small, then there will be little difficulty 

 in closing it ; and even a pretty large one is frequently suc- 

 cessfully cured, as there is but limited motion in that part. 

 But if it is situate opposite the union of the two rows, its 

 remedy is much more uncertain, in consequence of this being 

 the seat of the chief motion of the joint, which has a ten- 

 dency to disunite the lips of the wound, and also induces 

 most irritating friction between the bones, which would 

 become in close contact with each other, in consequence of 

 the expenditure of the joint-oil. 



When the skin has been broken, it is always visible 

 afterwards, but the extent of the blemish will depend 



