122 CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF 



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certain amount of exercise and then physic; then use judicious counter- ; 



irritation; blister. Keeping a horse lower in front than behind has a i 



tendency to help it, but perhaps a level floor is the best. If the formation ' 



is faulty you cannot bring him to a natural condition. Sometimes it is j 



unsoundness, and sometimes it is not. If it is not from faulty forma- i 

 tion, it is not an unsoundness ; if it is from faulty formation, it is 

 unsoundness. 



Wind Galls will come into your notice almost every day. They : 

 are puffy tumours, situated at the back part of the fetlock joint. ] 

 They are of various sizes, so called because they were supposed to j 

 contain au-. They consist in an enlargement of the bursae, in con- ', 

 nection with the flexor tendons, where tendons play over each other, or 

 over bones. They are supplied with little sacks, called bursae ; they are 

 lined with synovial membrane, and secrete synovaa. The processes of 

 absorption and secretion are going on. When more is secreted than is 

 absorbed, the result is a wind-gall, which is a bursal enlargement, due to ! 

 the natural secretion, which secretion may be more or less changed if the • 

 cause is kept up, and the bursa may become thickened, or even a bony or : 

 cartilaginous deposit may occur. Yon may find wind-galls in any joint, 

 but they are not called wind-galls unless in the region of the fetlock ; if ; 

 well back, it is in connection with the bursae of the flexor tendons ; but ' 

 if more in front, it is in connection with the joint. A slight wind-gall i 

 is not looked upon as an unsoundness, even in a fast horse. In examin- ] 

 ing, be careful to scrutinize the condition of wind-galls ; if they are soft, \ 

 there is no heat in the parts, etc., and they are in the back part, and : 

 small, it is not unsoundness. In examining, make the animal stand \ 

 upon the limb, if they are more in front, heat, pain, etc., are present, ■ 

 and there is more or less disease of the fetlock joint. They may appear i 

 very suddenly, as after a drive or one day's work. They are due to the ■ 

 excessive demand of the drive ; the absorption is not equal to the ; 

 secretion. I think severe exertion irritates the parts and prevents '. 

 absorption, and the secretion goes on as natural. i 



Treatment. — If of long standing they cannot be removed ; but if ' 

 treated in the early stage, they may be reduced. If suddenly produced j 

 in a plethoric animal, give a moderate dose of physic, and use hot or ; 

 cold applications — cold perhaps is preferable. Pressure is of great \ 

 benefit. Take a piece of cloth and fold several times, and place upon ': 

 the part, and apply a bandage, keeping it wet ; it causes absorjjtion ; or ; 

 you might use refrigerants, as acetate of lead, etc., and sometimes follow ; 

 with a blister, and put to work gradually. Irritant dressings and firing ! 

 are not necessary. It is bast not to open them unless they contain I 

 serum, for the irritation may extend and cause trouble. You could | 

 drain it off with a small trochar, but it would accumulate again. If you ■ 

 wish success, treat in the fall of the year, and expose to the cold during ' 

 the winter ; but they will, in most cases, return in the spring. "Where 

 they come in front, they are a great eye-sore, but are the same, and may ] 

 be treated the same. These may be produced by striking the stall. 



Dislocation of the Fetlock. — I will first mention this in the fore ex- : 

 tremity. You may be able to reduce it in exceptional cases, but if it j 

 occurs in a violent manner, the bones thrown back, the ligaments 

 ruptured, etc., it is worse than a fracture. 



Hip Joint. — You may meet with inflammation from some injury, direct ] 

 or indirect, but generally from indirect injury. It may come from rheuma- i 

 inflammation of the joint ; the round ligament may be sprained or ! 

 ruptured. It usually occurs from slipping— just setting the foot upon a j 

 cobble-stone and slipping, and the horse be lame for life — or it may i 



