MALFORMATION OF THEJOINTS 341 



in several joints at once, and also from the fact that it may move from one 

 joint to another. 



Therapeutics. — The treatment is the same as in muscular rheum- 

 atism. Keep the animal warm, quiet, and wrap the affected joints 

 in flannel, raw cotton, and frictions of spirits of camphor, oil of camphor, 

 ichthyol, or thigneol ointments. Internal adminstrations of salol, salipy- 

 rin, salophen, plenacctin, and mild saline laxatives. When the case is 

 chronic, joints may be painted with tincture of iodine, and when the 

 fever lessens daily massage the joints. A careful examination of the 

 heart should be made from time to time during the course of the disease. 



Disease Producing Malformation of the Joints. 



(.1 rthritis DeJ'onnans.) 



The cause of this disease is very little known. It is very probably 

 due to a chronic rheumatism, or to some inflammation of the joint. It 

 may also be due to great exertion, and is especially seen in Holland or 

 Canada and Alaska where animals are used to pull carts and vehicles or 

 sleds and in coach dogs that run after carriages, and occasionally seen 

 in pointers and setters that are constantly hunted. The first symptom of 

 this disease is a slight lameness in the diseased joint. This lameness 

 may be overlooked, as it is generally very slight, and after the animal has 

 taken a little exercise it gradually disappears, although in some rare 

 cases the lameness may continue, or even with exercise become ag- 

 gravated. In the early stages of the disease there is no indication of 

 pain on movement or pressure of the joint, but later on, pain on pressure 

 and motion begins to show itself. At the same time there is a gradual 

 swelling and thickening of the capsule of the joint, with apparently a 

 loss of the normal amount of synovia. Sometimes we notice a slight 

 heat. A peculiar symptom of this disease, which is noticed from the 

 very onset, is a peculiar creaking or crepitating sound when the joint is 

 moved. After a time stiffness of the joints becomes more marked. 

 There are hard swellings on the cartilaginous borders, also a tendency 

 of the ends of the joint to enlarge, and finally marked alteration in the 

 form of the joint. By these changes we are enabled to distinguish be- 

 tween arthritis deformans and chronic serous inflammation of the joints. 



The anatomical alterations have already been mentioned. Ar- 

 thritis deformans, as a rule, occurs in the knee-joint, the elbow and 

 shoulder. The prognosis of this disease is always to be unfavorable, be- 

 cause it seems to defy medical treatment, going on until finally the 

 joint becom<'s a large unsightely mass. 



Therapeutic Treatment of Inflammation of the Joints.— In all cases, 

 except those of slight synovitis, the joint must be kept as quiet as pos- 



