434 DISEASES OF CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, ETC. 



OSTEITIS. 



Inflammation of the compact structure of bones (osteitis) may 

 be either acute or chronic, and may involve the whole extent of the 

 bone affected or may be confined to only a portion of it. This in- 

 flammation results from injury, such as concussion, laceration, or a 

 crushing bruise ; also from specific influences, as in actinomycosis or 

 cases of foul foot. The latter affection frequently involves the bones, 

 and for this reason the pastern is the most frequent seat of osteitis. 

 There is dull pain on pressure and a painful swelling of bone when 

 pus is present. Suppuration may involve the overlying soft tissues, 

 causing an abscess, which may finally break through the skin. The 

 inflammatory condition sometimes assumes an ulcerated form 

 (caries) or from interrupted nutrition of the part deprived of the 

 blood necessary to its nourishment may cause death of a large section 

 of bone (necrosis), and this dead fragment (sequestrum), becoming 

 separated from the main portion of bone, acts as a foreign body. 



Treatment. This consists in resting the affected part and in 

 giving vent at the earliest possible moment to whatever pus may be 

 present. Free drainage should then be maintained. Apply dress- 

 ings of lactic acid or inject with 5 per cent zinc chloride solution 

 and pack with tampons of cotton soaked in antiseptic solutions. A 

 laxative is the only internal treatment necessary. 



PERIOSTITIS. 



This disease is an inflammation of the external covering of bone 

 (periosteum) and is usually produced by wounds, pressure, or crush- 

 ing of the part. The periosteum is well supplied with sensitive nerve 

 endings and when inflamed is very sensitive to pressure and may 

 cause lameness. This condition is often difficult to determine, and 

 even an acute observer may fail to locate the point of its existence. 

 There are three forms of periostitis aseptic, purulent, and fibrous. 



ASEPTIC PERIOSTITIS. 



Aseptic periostitis when it becomes chronic causes such a bony 

 enlargement (exostosis) as is seen in the callous formation following 

 the fracture of a bone. The formation of such a tumor or enlarge- 

 ment on the surface of a bone is liable to occur in any part of the 

 bone covered with periosteum, and when found in the neighborhood 

 of a joint involving two or more bones it is likely to result in their 

 union (anchylosis). 



Treatment. Applications of cold water to check the inflamma- 

 tory processes are indicated for the first few days in aseptic periostitis, 

 followed by hot fomentations to hurry resorption of fluids. Massage 

 should then be given with camphor ointment, mercurial ointment, 

 soap liniment, or Lugol's solution. In the chronic form point firing 

 or a biniodide of mercury blister will be found beneficial. 



PURULENT PERIOSTITIS. 



Purulent periostitis follows wounds which reach the periosteum 

 and become infected, as observed in compound fractures, or it may 

 result from advancing purulent conditions in neighboring struc- 

 tures, as in foul foot. It may also occur in the course of an infec- 

 tious disease, when small abscesses are formed under the periosteum 



