202 DISEASES OF THE HOUSE. 



physic and lowering treatment, but, on the contrary, 

 I ordered liberal diet and occasional alteratives. It will 

 never tend to any desirable results to reduce the system 

 overmuch in severe cases of penetrated joints, since a 

 certain amount of inflammation is necessary to the 

 healing of the wound. The use of slings in such cases, 

 where practicable, is much to be recommended ; since 

 the pain incurred by standing for days in the same 

 position .must, when the animal is worn out with 

 fatigue, be inexpressibly irksome. The use of slings 

 tends to lessen the high degree of fever which usually 

 attacks horses which are kept on their legs too long. 

 On this too much importance cannot be j)laced, for a 

 favourable termination of a penetrated joint mainly 

 depends on the prevention of a high state of inflamma- 

 tion. As I have said before, a moderate vascularity and 

 redness in the integuments is to be desired ; but inflam- 

 mation of the capsular ligament usually leads to the 

 formation of abscesses, and finally anchylosis, or stiff- 

 ness of the joint. There is always a great derangement 

 of the digestive organs in such cases, which is best en- 

 countered by administering mild purgative balls every 

 other day, such as two drachms of aloes, ginger, and 

 resin, made into one ball until the bowels act mode- 

 rately. 



FRACTURES AND DISLOCATIONS. 



It is but very seldom that any effort is made to 

 unite a fracture of the bones of the horse, for, being 



