246 LAMENESS OF THE HORSE 



bistoury or with the actual cautery. Such practice is too hazard- 

 ous for general use and is not to be recommended, although good 

 results should follow the employment of such methods if infec- 

 tious arthritis does not occur. 



Line firing over the distended capsule is a practical method 

 of treatment. This is attended with good results in young ani- 

 mals in many cases, but considerable blemish is caused when 

 sufficient irritation is produced to stimulate resolution. 



Vesication also is successfully employed in some instances. 

 However, only eases of recent origin in young animals — colts of 

 two years or younger — yield to blistering, and in some affected 

 colts no doubt recovery would have been spontaneous had no 

 treatment been instituted. 



Ligation of the saphenous vein at two points, one above and 

 the other below the distended ligamentous capsule, is an old 

 operation, which has undoubtedly given good results in some 

 cases, although it does not seem to be a rational procedure. 



After-Care. — After swelling has fully developed — which oc- 

 curs witliin a week — the subject is turned to pasture and no at- 

 tention is necessary thereafter. A gradual subsidence of the 

 swelling occurs and in the average instance, this completely re- 

 solves within six or eight weeks. 



Complete recovery succeeds the aspiration-and-injection-treat- 

 ment in about seventy-five per cent of cases as the result of one 

 operation, and subjects may be gradually and carefully returned 

 to work in about sixty days after treatment has been given. 



Distension of the Tarsal Sheath of the Deep Digital Flexor. 

 ( Thoroughpin. ) 



The terms ''thoroughpin" or "throughpin" are translations 

 from the French vessignon clieviUe and have the same signifi- 

 cance. They are so named because of the diametrically opposed 

 distensions of the sheath of the deep flexor tendon in such man- 

 ner that the distensions appear to be due to a supporting peg. 



Anatomy. — The theca tlirough whieli the deep digital flexor 

 (perforans) plays in the tarsal region, begins about three inches 



