250 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



SHOULDER JOINT DISLOCATION. 



The bones forming the shoulder-joint are held in place 

 by the large and iDowerful muscles of the region, and 

 not by ligaments. From this one might think that 

 dislocation of the shoulder-joint might very readily occur, 

 and would be common. Such, however, is not the case, 

 dislocation of the shoulder being an extremely rare occur- 

 rence in the horse, although very common in man. AYhen 

 it does take place it may be known by the limb being 

 shorter than its fellow, and by the unnatural bulging of 

 the parts. 



Treatment. — Endeavour to reduce the dislocation by force 

 employed in the usual way. This done, relief will be in- 

 stantaneous. 



SHOULDER-JOINT LAMENESS. 



This joint is liable to injury in various ways, but is not 

 by any means a common seat of lameness, although com- 

 monly supposed to be by a certain class of practitioners, 

 who, when they cannot clearly locate a case of lameness, 

 without the slightest hesitation refer it to the shoulder- 

 joint at once, and blister and seton in the region of the 

 shoulder, putting the poor animal to an endless amount 

 of torture, when in all probability the case is one of con- 

 firmed navicular arthritis. 



Pathology. — As a result of an injury received in some 

 way, inflammatory action becomes established in connection 

 with the joint. If the inflammation is not checked, but is 

 aggravated or allowed to run on, material is thrown out 

 which consolidates, and the animal is thereby rendered per- 

 manently lame. Or it may go a step further, causing 

 caries, partial or complete anchylosis, etc. The tendon of 

 the flexor brachii becoming inflamed gives rise to lame- 



