THE DISEASES OF THE HORSE 



THE ACCIDENTS TO WHICH HE IS LIABLE 

 WITH THEIR TREATMENT 



CHAPTER XXV 



THE DISEASES AND INJURIES OF CONE 



GEXERAL REMARKS— SPLINTS — RINGBONE AND SIDEBONE — BONE SPAVIN — EXOSTOSIS OF 

 THE HUMERUS AND SCAPULA— FISTULA— POLL EVIL— CARIES OF TUE JAW— OSTEO SAR- 

 COMA— FRACTURES-SPLIT PASTERNS. 



GENERAL REMARKS 



TuE DISEASES OP DONE are not cuinmonly attended by any constitutional 

 disturbance, and neither require an examination of general symptoms, nor 

 the adoption of any but local treatment, beyond that attention to the health 

 which is always necessary. They may all be included under the heads of, 

 — 1st. Exostosis, or increased growth of bone. 2nd. Caries, or ulceration. 

 3rd. Anchylosis, or unnatural union of two bones, in consequence of 

 exostosis, or caries, or both. 4 th. Fractures, or disunion by external force. 

 Malignant diseases of the bone also occur very rarely in the horse, so that 

 it -will be scarcely necessary to occupy any space with their description, 

 especially as they are perfectly incurable. 



Exostosis is the result of increased action in the nutrition of the part, 

 and is much more prevalent in young horses than in old. It may be 

 recognized by a hard swelling of the part, which in recent cases is painful 

 on pressui-e ; but sometimes its site cannot be reached with the finger, and 

 the disease can then only be detected by its efrects. A blow upon any of 

 the bones when unprotected by anything but skin will produce inflannnation 

 followed by exostosis ; but the most ordinary cause is the over-stimulus of 

 hard work. Heavy horses are more prone to exostosis than light ones, 

 partly from the weight of their bodies and their high lumbering action 



