270 PARTICULAR LAMENESSES. 



Prevention is better than cure, and many horses will do well 

 enough if properly shod with either the three-quarter or Charlier 

 shoes. The foot must be kept narrow on the inner side, and 

 the shoes removed about every three weeks, otherwise, by growth 

 of the foot, the animal is apt to strike. I have known many 

 cases of this kind where it was essential to remove and readjust 

 the shoes at the end of three weeks, otherwise, mischief was sure 

 to follow. If due attention to shoeing does not prevent it, a 

 boot must be made, extending as high as the knee, with a rim 

 on its upper extremity to keep off, as it were, the interference of 

 the other foot. I do not think that narrow-chested are more 

 liable to " speedy-cut " than wide-chested animals ; round high 

 action being generally the cause. 



The treatment of the active symptoms arising from the injury 

 consists in fomentations to the part, purgatives, the opening of 

 the abscesses, whether serous or purulent, and the removal of 

 any thickening which may remain, after the active symptoms 

 have passed away, by the application of iodine or biniodide of 

 mercury. 



BROKEN KNEES. 



A wound upon the anterior part of the knee, although of itself 

 a mere scratch, is of such importance that it lowers the value of 

 the animal to a very great extent. Many are the excuses for 

 a broken knee. It is very true that many knees are broken 

 through carelessness on the part of the rider or driver ; and in 

 judging such the veterinarian must draw a distinction between 

 a good and a bad goer, between a well-made horse and the re- 

 verse. Marks of speedy-cut and cutting or brushing must also 

 be looked for, as the infliction of these is apt to cause the 

 animal to fall. 



If a horse, well made, with very fine action, has broken knees, 

 the cause may be purely accidental — bad shoeing, carelessness, 

 or to the animal being subject to fits of vertigo. 



Broken knees are of five kinds: — ^st. Wlien the skin is 

 bruised, but not cut ; 2d. When the skin is cut ; od. When the 

 skin is divided, more or less lacerated, the tendon of the extensor 

 magnus exposed, and its bursa opened ; 4:th. Wlien the wound 

 penetrates through the tendon, exposing the carpal articulations ; 

 5^:^. The last forni, with fracture of one or more bones. 



