SPECIAL INJURIES OF BONES. 363 



lotion, but as it is only a blemish and does not interfere with 

 the animal's usefulness it is best, as a rule, to let it alone. 



BLOOD SPAVIN. 



This is a dilatation of the vein which runs over the seats of 

 bo^ and hone spavins, and being harmless should not be inter- 

 fered with. 



CURB. 



This is a swelling, at first soft and doughy, but later hard and 

 resistant, in the median line of the limb, and just behind the 

 lowest part of the hock joint. It is best seen by standing to 

 one side of the limb and looking directly across it The injury 

 is usually a sprain of the tendon {perforatus) which plays over the 

 front of the hock, though in some bad cases the ligament of the 

 hock beneath this is injured as well. There is heat and tender- 

 ness with more or less lameness, and a tendency to knuckle 

 forward at the fetlock. Curhy hocks are congenital in some 

 horses, and cannot be looked on as disease, but rather distortion. 



TnaUnent. — Keep quiet, put on a high-heeled shoe, and 

 apply hot fomentations or cooling lotions until inflammation 

 moderates, when an active blister may be applied. In some 

 severe cases this may require to be repeated, or resort must be 

 had to the hot iron, but this is altogether exceptional. 



STRING-HALT. 



This is the name given to a habit of suddenly jerking up the 

 hind limb when raised from the ground, It may be shown 

 only in turning from side to side in the stall and in starting, or 

 it may appear in walking and trotting as well. Again, the jerk 

 may be comparatively slight, or so extreme that the fetlock 

 may even strike the belly. Its causes are unknown, though 

 manifestly it is a reflex nervous act, and may perhaps be deter- 

 mined by a variety of local injuries. If any such can be found 

 they should be corrected, but as a rule treatment is eminently 



