HIP-JOINT DISEASE. 279 



to begin the treatment of windgall is in the early part of the 

 winter season. After using pressure, vesicants, etc., the 

 animal should be turned out, and the cold weather will 

 have a soothing and astringent effect upon the windgalls, 

 and, as a rule, after running out all winter, the animal 

 comes up in the spring with nice clean limbs perfectly free 

 from windgalls ; but as soon as the animal is put to hard, or 

 fast work, they will reappear. In rare cases windgalls may 

 be opened, drained, and pressure applied, or a fluid may 

 be injected, as dilute iodine, after draining the bursa of its 

 contents ; but, generally speaking, opening a windgall is not 

 attended with much success ; as a rule, considerable irrita- 

 tion resulting in consequence of the operation, and much 

 trouble caused thereby ; and even in cases where any un- 

 toward results, as irritation, etc., are escaped, the operation 

 is usually attended with failure. 



HIP-JOINT DISEASE. 



The hip- joint is much less frequently the seat of 

 disease than is commonly supposed. Why this should 

 be so is apparent to anyone understanding the structure 

 and situation of the joint, it being one of the strongest 

 joints in the body, being formed of some of the heaviest 

 bones in the body firmly secured in place by extremely 

 powerful ligaments, the principal of which are the liga- 

 mentum teres and the pubio-femoral, the latter being 

 absent in the ox. Besides the joint being a powerful 

 structure in itself, it is further protected by masses of 

 powerful muscular tissue, under which it lies deeply buried. 

 Hence it may be considered as a matter of some surprise, not 

 that it is so seldom affected, but that it is so frequently 

 affected. The very circumstances, it may be stated, which 

 so efficiently protect and render this articulation so little 

 liable to disease or injury are those which also render the 



