21)2 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



latter, should be freely used, and astringent lotions are often 

 found to be of great benefit. Hand-rubbing, also, is useful, 

 pressure is of very great benefit, and may be applied by 

 means of a bog-spavin truss. Where the truss cannot readily 

 be obtained, other l>an(la_L;es nuiv be applied, and arranged so 

 as to firmly secure pads immediately over the seat of the en- 

 largement. Vt'sicauts may or may not be used, as the prac- 

 titioner thinks best ; they are, however, frequently of great 

 benefit. Some practitioners recommend the removal of the 

 fluid by means of the aspirator, but such an operation is 

 not advisable. In some cases it may do well, but frequently 

 it causes great irritation, and inflammation of an alarming 

 character, the whole limb swelling to a great extent, and 

 the animal may be rendered useless. In cases where bog 

 spavin is accompanied by extensive irritation, the irritation 

 should be allayed in the usual way as far as possible, and 

 counter-irritants employed, in some cases the actual cautery 

 being employed with benefit, as in wind galls. Bog spavin 

 is best treated in the winter, the cold exerting a constrin- 

 gent effect. 



THOROUGH-PIN. 



Thorough-pin is a bursal enlargement, and is usually 

 defined as being distension of the bursa in connec- 

 tion with the flexor pedis perforans muscle. It is 

 commonest among, and more likely to occur in, heavy 

 horses, and more especially in horses having heavy, thick, 

 iind straight limbs. It varies to a great extent in size, in 

 some cases being no larger than the point of the little finger, 

 in other cases attaining the size of the closed hand. In a 

 great many cases of bog spavin, thorough-pin is present also, 

 probably because the distension of the capsular ligament 

 interferes with, to a certain extent, and sets up irritation of 

 the bursa, causing increased secretion of its fluid, and con- 

 sequent distension of the bursa itself. Pressure upon the 



