44 VETERINARY LECTURES 



75. Rickets is a peculiar softening and yielding condition of the 

 bone, and maybe looked upon as arising from the imperfect assimila- 

 tion of the lime elements through a want of earthy salts, or an excess 

 of animal matter, by the bony structure, so that the bones will 

 scarcely support the weight of the body. Rickets is mostly seen in 

 young dogs and pigs, and not so frequently in foals and calves. In 

 the treatment of rickets the affected animal should be put into a 

 well-drained and ventilated box, and provided with a good comfort- 

 able bed. Should any constitutional disturbance be present, it ought 

 to be combated by giving fever medicines, followed up with tonics ; 

 and, as such, nothing is better than the syrup of phosphates of 

 iron, potash, soda, and lime, and glycerine or cod-liver oil, 

 given in doses of 1 tablespoonful twice a day in milk. Good, well- 

 boiled oatmeal porridge .with plenty of milk and a wine-glassful of 

 lime-water night and morning is also recommended. 



76. Mollities Ossium (osteo-malacia) is real softening of the 

 bone, which becomes of a spongy red texture ; the treatment is 

 much the same as for rickets. Another disease of the bone, which 

 is thoroughly described in Williams' ' Principles and Practice of 

 Veterinary Surgery,' is called osteo-porosis, and is a remarkable 

 softening and swelling of the bony structure. I have not, however, 

 in all my practice come across such a case. 



77. Fragilitas Ossium, or brittleness of the bone, is mostly seen 

 in aged animals ; as they advance in life the bones become firmer, 

 and lose their animal matter to a certain extent — so much so that 

 the bones of an old horse, owing to their fragile condition, are very 

 subject to fracture. 



78. Osteo-Sarcoma is a malignant disease of the bone of a 

 cancerous nature, which at times implicates the flesh as well. It is 

 very common in finely-bred cattle and horses, attacking generally 

 the head, and frequently commencing in the inner corner of the eye ; 

 the ribs are also the seat of the disease. It creeps on very insidiously, 

 producing little or no constitutional disturbance. The animal seems 

 to have no pain, but gradually loses flesh. I have seen cases where 

 the whole side of the upper jaw, including the eye-socket and upper 



