CAPPED HOCK. 491 



The point of the hock in these cases swells considerably, 

 and in the more acute and severe forms of the injury the animal 

 is lame. Sometimes a Capped Hock proves a very troublesome 

 affair, especially when the structures are severely injured and 

 the animal is wrongly treated. People who rub stimulating 

 mixtures, hot oils, and irritating compounds upon the swelling, 

 will in all probability, aggravate the case beyond all hope of 

 perfect restoration. 



Treatment. — If the case be acute, that is, if the hock be 

 much swollen, hot, and painful, and the patient lame, put a 

 high-heeled shoe upon the foot of the limb affected, and apply 

 Arnica lotion and hay bandages dipped in cold water to the 

 joint. In order to prevent the rough hay chafing the skin of 

 the hock, first fold a wet woollen bandage around the part, 

 and then place the wet hay bandage over it. The bandages 

 may be kept wet by pouring lotion and cold water upon them. 

 The treatment here recommended should be regularly continued 

 for five or six days in succession, and the patient during the 

 same time should be dieted upon soft food. 



In two or three weeks after the infliction of the injury, 

 should the point of the hock remain enlarged, and its tempera- 

 ture become natural, the enlargement may be rubbed with the 

 ointment of the Biniodide of Mercury, in the following pro- 

 portion : — 



Biniodide of Mercury ... ... half a drachm. 



Lard .. ... ... ... 1 ounce. 



A portion of the above to be rubbed daily upon the swollen 

 part until the skin becomes sore, when the use of the ointment 

 should be given over and a little oil or lard used regularly 

 instead, until the soreness is gone, when the ointment may be 

 again applied until the soreness is again produced ; in this man- 



