SPRAIN OF SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT. 283 



The marks of the lesion always remain in the shape of a 

 thickening, which may be felt close to the large canon bone, or 

 upon any part of the course of the ligament. 



Special Treatment. — Patten shoe or shoes, if they can be 

 applied and borne ; firm pledgets of tow placed in the hollow of 

 the heel to support the fetlock, maintained in their position 

 by firm bandaging. The tow should be made into a firm roll, 

 the fetlock pad elevated by an assistant, the roll of tow placed 

 under it so as to completely fill up the hollow of the heel, and 

 fixed in that position by a bandage. Other bandages should 

 be placed round the leg as high as possible, to keep the parts 

 together, and thus diminish the breach to be healed ; cold 

 applications applied until the inflammatory symptoms have 

 subsided, and the parts firmly reunited, when a blister may be 

 rubbed on to remove the thickening which remains. A long 

 rest is essential, and if the patient will not lie down the slings 

 are to be used. 



In some cases of injury to the foot, the absorbents of the leg 

 become swollen and inflamed. This must not be confounded 

 with tendinous or ligamentous injuries. 



SPRAIN OF THE FETLOCK- JOINT. 



The fetlock-joint is liable to inflammation of its synovial 

 membrane from a variety of causes, the most frequent being 

 sprain of one of its lateral ligaments. In comparison with 

 other forms of lameness, this is rare, though, from the fre- 

 quency of fracture of the upper extremity of the os suffraginis, 

 entering into the composition of the joint, one would be in- 

 clined to conclude that the concussion which so often produces 

 fracture would, when applied in a more limited degree, be a 

 frequent source of inflammation ; but such is not the case. It 

 may be here observed that squareness of the fetlock, obtained 

 by well-developed tuberosities on the os suffraginis, is much to 

 be desired, a round fetlock being very objectionable. At the 

 same time, it must be remembered that their very squareness 

 renders them more liable to fracture, because the large upper 

 extremity of the suffraginis in a square fetlock is, as it were, un- 

 supported by the body of the bone. 



In inflammation of the fetlock-joint, from whatever cause, 



