106 CLINICAL BACTERIOLOGY AND 



anchylosis is certain to follow, and that to an animal of the 

 equine species, of course, means destruction. 



We therefore maintain, if the practitioner is called 

 in sufficiently early — i.e., before destructive changes have 

 taken place within the joint — and he adopts a rational 

 course of treatment with suitable vaccines, combined with 

 thermic assistance, he need fear no organic stiffening of the 

 joint. Of course, where pus has been discharging for days, 

 and the whole of the articular surface has been stripped by 

 the digesting action of the bacteria, vaccine-therapy will 

 fail to restore such a joint to a normal condition, although, 

 undoubtedly, it would facilitate the removal of the bacteria. 



Retardation of the development of bacteria within the 

 joint is effected by a more or less continuous spray of cold 

 water, and when the circulation is interfered with, or in 

 any way becomes defective, the application of Bier's treat- 

 ment, by driving an excess of bactericidal elements to the 

 joint, forms an excellent adjuvant to vaccine-therapy. In 

 addition we have used for some years injections of ol. 

 caryoph., with excellent results in open joints, and, unlike 

 most antiseptics, it does not appear to irritate or upset the 

 local tissues it comes in contact with; on the contrary, it 

 seems rather to stimulate than depress Nature's restorative 

 and protective elements. 



Pyaemic Arthritis as seen in Young Foals. 



The etiology of the condition as seen in practice is far 

 from being complete. Quite a number of bacteria have 

 been isolated as causing the disease, and not a few of these 

 are undoubtedly of secondary origin. 



It appears to the writer we have here two distinct con- 

 ditions — i.e., bacterial invasion in utero and umbilical infec- 

 tion after birth. 



In the former case the navel cord looks macroscopically 

 healthy and shows little or no retrogressive changes; 

 nevertheless, within a few hours after birth an effusive 

 arthritis has taken place. To those who hold infection 



