202 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



Pathology. — Splint is an enlargement due to more or less 

 inflammation of the periosteum, and possibly a circum- 

 scribed inflammation of the bone itself; as a result of which 

 an exudation is thrown out . The exudation is at first of a 

 gelatinous character, and as it proceeds takes on a cartila- 

 ginous character, and gradually increases in hardness, and 

 changes in character, until finally it becomes ossified, con- 

 stituting a splint. 



Splints are oftenest met with in young animals, owing to 

 the greater vascularity of the parts. Some animals have a 

 predisposition to splint, due to an ossific diathesis, as for 

 instance a horse with a weak or a badly-proportioned limb, 

 as the metacarpals a little long in proportion to the length 

 of the radius. 



Causes. — As above stated, some animals are predisposed 

 to this, as well as to other bone diseases ; and in many cases 

 there undoubtedly exists an hereditary tendency to splint, 

 spavin, etc. Splints on the outside of the limb are more 

 likely to be met with affecting ' in-toed ' or ' pigeon-toed ' 

 horses, in such animals the centre of gravity being thrown 

 more to the outside of the bone affected. Horses with a high 

 and pounding action are also more likely to have splints 

 than horses with a low or cat-like action, particularly in 

 localities where the roads are very hard. External injuries 

 of various kinds, as kicks, blows, etc., will also cause splint. 

 Speedy-cut may be mentioned as an occasional cause of 

 splint, but the most prolific cause is concussion, due 

 to riding or driving on a hard road. Country horses 

 coming to the city usually develop splint very quickly, 

 and it is very common amongst city horses. Occasionally 

 splint is met with in a horse ten or twelve years of 

 age, but such a case is rare, its occurrence being most 

 common in horses ranging from two to five or six years of 

 age ; and a horse at the age of three or four years may have 



