WOUNDS AND ACUTE INFLAMMATION OF THE HOCK-JOINT. 987 



Schrader says that one of Havemann's pupils cured a cow suffering 

 from luxation of the metatarsus. Townshand reports a similar case : 

 the metatarsus was displaced in a forward direction. The animal 

 recovered, but always went lame. In Rey's case, above cited, the 

 union between the hock bones was divided, but there was no displace- 

 ment. Stockfleth speaks of a similar case in which the astragalus 

 and calcis were torn away from the cuboid and scaphoid bones ; 

 the horse was killed. Riiffert also saw a case in which the internal 

 lateral ligament and portions of the interosseous ligaments were 

 ruptured. Union appears to be strongest between the metatarsus 

 and lower row of hock bones ; Stockfleth only gives one case of 

 dislocation at this point. It occurred in a dog ; all the ligaments 

 and flexor tendons were ruptured, and the lower part of the limb 

 hung by the extensor tendons. Needless to say, in these cases 

 recovery is often extremely protracted and difficult, for which reason 

 it is usually best to advise slaughter. 



III.— WOUNDS AND ACUTE INFLAMMATION OF THE HOCK-JOINT. 



Wounds are by far the most frequent cause of acute inflammation 

 of the hock-joint. They may be caused by thrusts with forks, lances, 

 or sabres, by kicks, by accidents in jumping, by barbed wire, and in 

 dogs by bites, or they may be due to operation for spavin or for 

 synovial distension. Point firing sometimes causes suppuration in 

 the hock-joint. Inflammation of the tendon sheath of the flexor 

 perforans at the inner side of the hock or septic cellulitis near the 

 joint may sometimes extend to it ; or, again, the joint may be opened 

 by necrosis consequent on lying long in one position. Acute 

 inflammation of the tibio-tarsal joint also results from wrenching, 

 and in horses is sometimes seen after strangles and other infective 

 diseases. Inflammation of the hock-joint, probably of metastatic 

 origin, has been observed in cows soon after calving, sometimes 

 in both limbs at once. The cases usually followed retention of the 

 foetal membranes, post-partum paralysis, mastitis, and septic metritis. 

 Foals, calves and lambs often show inflammation of the hock -joint in 

 omphalo-phlebitis or vt navel disease." Morot and others have seen 

 tuberculosis of the hock-joint in cattle. Dieckerhoff describes several 

 instances of spontaneous inflammation of the hock-joint, which 

 proved on post-mortem examination to be of a purulent character. 

 Whether the cases of rheumatic inflammation so often described 

 are caused by exposure to cold is uncertain. 



Symptoms. The local injury generally dispels any doubt as to 



