DISEASES OP THE SHOULDER-JOINT. 767 



leg, and two or three powerful men effect extension by pulling on 

 it. Counter-extension is provided by a girth passed round the animal's 

 body. The operator stands on the joint and supervises the direction 

 of extension, whilst endeavouring to replace the head of the bone. 

 Successful reduction is notified by the production of a loud click 

 and by restoration of free movement to the limb. Failing reduction 

 by this method, the elbow-joint is strongly flexed, and fresh attempts 

 made ; if the head of the humerus lies in front of the glenoid cavity, 

 this Avay is more likely to be successful. The shoulder muscles retain 

 the parts in position, so that bandaging is not usually necessary. 

 Lodezzano, however, in the case of a cow, cut away the hair from 

 the shoulder, smeared the parts with a mixture of pitch, turpentine, 

 and wax, and applied a stiff piece of cloth ; when the mass became 

 hard, fresh layers were applied. In pronounced inflammation, cold 

 applications are indicated. Absolute rest is necessary, and should 

 be continued as long as any trace of lameness exists. To prevent 

 recurrence, which is liable to follow attempts to rise, the patient 

 should be placed in slings for a few weeks. Blistering also diminishes 

 free movement of the shoulder and tends to prevent recurrence. 

 Bourgelat employed an iron splint like a horse-collar to assist 

 retention. The apparatus is generally unnecessary, unless the animal 

 be allowed to lie down. 



(b) Contusions and Distortions of the Shoulder-Joint. — These 

 accidents are in general rare. The absence of firm ligamentous 

 structures tends to prevent distortion occurring, while the muscles 

 of the shoulder, especially the biceps, shield the joint from contusion. 

 As long as the limb remains in its normal relationship to the trunk, 

 even the violent concussion resulting from falls is not injurious. 

 On the other hand, both excessive abduction, adduction, and rotation, 

 produced by slips, falls, or attempts to free the foot which has become 

 fixed in some obstruction, may result in distortion of the joint. The 

 many lamenesses described under this head consist, however, in 

 injuries to the biceps and to the bursa intertubercularis. 



Symptoms. Inflammatory disease of the shoulder- joint is 

 recognised by sudden lameness when lifting the leg, by the limb 

 being abducted, and by the animal being unwilling to place weight 

 on the foot. The forward stride is shortened, the movement of the 

 limb is slow, the backward movement impaired, so that the hoof 

 is dragged along the ground. Inflammatory swelling, accompanied 

 by increased warmth and pain, appears about the shoulder. 

 Diagnosis is often doubtful, and the disease then falls under the 

 category of shoulder lameness (see " Shoulder Lameness "). 



