tAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 329 



cases having occnrred, the practice is now discontinued. Among 

 the many fatal cases recorded I select the following, which has 

 been recorded in the " Veterinarian," by W. A. Wheatley, V. S. ; 



"The subject was a five-year old cart-horse, the property of the 

 South-eastern Railway Company, admitted on the 1st of SeT>tem- 

 ber, 1 855, with an immense thorough-pin on the off hock. The 

 animal being then in a very high condition, a support shoe was 

 placed on the foot of the diseased limb, and the frequent applica- 

 tion of cold water to the diseased parts resorted to, the diet being 

 restricted to mashes. 



October 6. — The horse was considered in a fit state for the op- 

 eration. Accordingly, I had the animal secured by a side line, and 

 first punctured the enlargement with the exploring-needle, in four 

 different places; but, as the imprisoned fluid did not escape so 

 readily as I expected, I determined upon opening the part with 

 the lancet, which being done, the fluid escaped to the amount of a 

 small tea-cupful. It was of a thin consistence, and of a pale straw 

 color. I then applied bandages dipped in cold water, and kept 

 the hock constantly wet. 



October 7. — The swelling had very slightly returned. I gave 

 some aperient medicine, and continued the bandages with cold 

 water, and applied a suitable truss to the hock. 



I need not give a report of the case from day to day. Suffice 

 it to say that the cold water and the truss were continued in use, 

 and the animal never manifested the least inconvenience from the 

 operation. 



November 21. — He was considered cured, not the least appear- 

 ance of the enlargement being left. 



November 29. — On this day the horse was attacked with abdom- 

 inal obstruction, and, despite all our remedial measures, consisting 

 of active purgatives, as solution of aloes, calomel, oleum lini et 

 crotoni. with the frequent use of medicated euemata, counter- 

 irritants, etc., he continued to grow worse till the 1st of December, 

 when death took place. This was the fourth attack of this kind 

 that the animal had experienced while under treatment for the dis- 

 eased hock." 



The danger to be apprehended in cases where an opening is 

 made by the lancet arises from the liability to synovitis, (inflamma- 

 tion of the synovial membrane,) which reacts sympathetica ly on 

 r^'e 8y«;tem, producing derangement cf some of the organs oj *-^'^»- 



