248 DICTIONARY OF THE VETERINARY ART. 



Jaundice. In jaundice, the natural course of the bile is 

 perverted, and reabsorbed into the circulation. 



Jaw, Locked. (See Lockjaw.) 



Jejunum. Part of the small intestine is thus named from 

 its being generally found empty. 



Joints. A joint is formed, generally .speaking, by the 

 heads of two or more bones. These ends are covered by a 

 layer of cartilage or gristle, which is of a yielding nature. 

 There is formed within the joint a slippery fluid, called syno- 

 via, or joint oil. The ends of the bones, thus covered with a 

 smooth, yielding surface, so slippery that they move freely on 

 each other without suffering ... from friction, are then firmly 

 tied together by a strong substance, named ligament, which 

 completely surrounds the head of the bones : this is termed 

 capsular ligament. In some joints we find an additional liga- 

 ment within the capsular ligament, or cavity : thus, in the hip 

 joint, a strong ligament connects the head of the thigh bone 

 with the socket that receives it. 



Joints are subject to disease, either from external injury, or 

 from long-continued exertion of them. In the former, the 

 capsular ligament is penetrated, and a discharge of synovia 

 ensues. Mr. Percival remarks " that, in many cases of open 

 joint, (commonly called so,) there is no division nor injury 

 whatever of the capsular ligament j but merely the exposure 

 of some bursa mucosa placed between the joint and the ex- 

 ternal wound : the discharge is of the same kind as in the 

 former case, and we can only determine which it is by carefully 

 probing the wound. Most of all we are likely to make this 

 mistake in the shoulder joint and hock, when heat and swell- 

 ing are present. From the acute sensibility of ligamentous 

 parts when inflamed, the system quickly, and almost invaria- 

 riably, sympathizes ; so that, in all severe cases of this nature, 

 symptomatic fever supervenes, the pulse becomes accelerated, 

 the horse heaves at the flanks, refuses his food, and shows 



