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STRAINS. 

 No affection is fo much miftaken as that called a 

 ftrain, nor no complaint fo varioufly treated. This 

 arifes from two fources : the one is, the confidering the 

 tendons, the frequent feat of flrains, as elaftic fub- 

 ftances, put too much on the ftretch ; and the other 

 arifes from not conlidering ftrains as having two 

 ftages,— one compofed of inflammation, and ano- 

 ther of the debility left in the part from the effedls 

 of the inflammation, and of the violence. A ftrain 

 is an unnatural extenlion of an elaftic part, and a 

 rupture of an inelaftic part : now the mufcles may 

 be relaxed, but the tendons, perhaps, are feldom or 

 ever extended, but more ufually their fheaths have 

 fome of their connexions, or perhaps fome of their 

 fibres, ruptured. The treatment is the fame in 

 either cafe ; for inflammation always follows a ftrain, 

 and the part becomes hotter and larger than ufual ; 

 this muft, therefore, be treated as other inflamma- 

 tions : the horfe fliould be bled when it is violent ; he 

 fliould be allowed perfect: reft, and his bowels opened. 

 The Einhrocation for Strains [page 25] fliould be con- 

 ftantly kept on the part, till its heat and fwelling are 

 reduced : when this is the cafe, exercife muft be gra- 

 <lually made ufe of ; and, if any lamenefs remains, 

 the part muft be confldered as in the fccond ftate of 

 ftrains, and muft be ftrengthened. An excellent 

 application for this purpofe is the 



