TRAUMATIC ARTICULAR SYNOVITIS — TRAUMATIC ARTHRITIS. 



51 



It is advisable to assist this internal antiseptic treatment by external 

 stimulants and by the use of a blister. Solutions of greater strength 

 than 1 part of sublimate to 500 of glycerine are only required during the 

 first few days of treatment and until suppuration diminishes. Later, 

 they prove irritant, and interfere with healing. 



TRAUMATIC ARTICULAR SYNOVITIS-TRAUMATIC ARTHRITIS— 

 "OPEN ARTHRITIS/' 



It has been described above how primary inflammation of the 

 articular synovial membrane 

 produced by a wound may 

 rapidly develop into sup- 

 purating arthritis. 



Symptoms. The pain is 

 very marked at the moment 

 when the accident occurs, 

 but this pain, due to the 

 mechanical injury inflicted, 

 diminishes or completely dis- 

 appears after some hours. 

 Soon, however, synovial dis- 

 charge sets in, announcing 

 the onset of traumatic syno- 

 vitis. At first limpid, it 

 soon becomes turbid, then 

 curdled, and finally grumous, 

 purulent and greyish in 

 colour. 



Pain then returns, rapidly 

 becomes intense, continuous 

 and lancinating. It produces 

 lameness, sometimes so severe 

 that no weight whatever can 

 be borne on the limb. A 

 diffuse, oedematous, warm and 

 extremely sensitive swelling 

 then rapidly develops around 

 the whole of the injured joint. 



General disturbance, with fever and loss of appetite, appears, indicating 

 a very alarming condition. 



It is sometimes a little difficult to differentiate between this condition 

 and that due to injury of a tendon sheath, but as a rule diagnosis is easy. 



Prognosis is very grave. Life is threatened, and wastmg occurs very 



E 2 



Fig. 19. — Suppurative arthritis of the fetlock. 



