STRINGHALT 185 



tomy alone, when the animal first rises an alarming symptom is presented 

 in extreme knuckling of the fetlock, and the patient appears unable to 

 extend the joint. This usually passes off in a short time with careful 

 exercise. To prevent injury to the joint during this stage, however, it is 

 usual to apply a protective bandage from the coronet upwards above 

 the fetlock of the limb to be operated upon, before commencing the 

 operation. 



STRINGHALT 



This is the name given to a peculiar condition commonly seen 

 in the horse, in which the joints ot the limb present an extreme 

 degree of flexion, which is carried out with abnormal suddenness 

 during the movement of the limb. The terms stringhalt and chorea 

 were used synonymously by the late W. WilUams, who defined the 

 condition as " an irregular convulsive clonic action of the voluntary 

 muscles." 



The condition is usually confined to the hind limbs, one or 

 both of which may be affected. In rare cases, however, it has 

 been recorded as occurring in the fore limb. Beyond the extreme 

 flexion and sudden manner in which the foot is picked up from 

 the ground there appears to be nothing seriously affecting the 

 limb, which is quite able to bear weight and carry out its other 

 functions. 



The symptoms may not be presented at every step, and are usually 

 observed to occur with irregular intermittence. Frequently the condition 

 is but slight, and is only to be noticed when the animal is turned round 

 suddenly. 



Stringhalt is an affection the cause of which has never been satisfac- 

 torily demonstrated, and remains to this day more or less in obscurity, 

 notwithstanding the efforts of the large number of able observers who 

 have devoted attention to it. The consensus of opinion amongst those 



2 A 



