72 LAMENESS IN THE HORSE. 



natural cousequeuce of their inactivity, — is the more 

 developed the older the case. During inspection both legs 

 must, if possible, support the same amount of weight. 

 Lateral swellings are best seen from in front. Swellings 

 involving the anterior portion of the bone are more readily 

 detected by sighting the bone from above or sideways. 



Palpation. — In cases where the enlargement is as yet 

 small it is difficult to diagnose ringbone. In the articular, 

 as well as the peri- articular form, either high or low, the 



Fig. 12. 

 Peri-articular Ringbone. 



swelling is of a bony hardness and painless, the skin on top 

 of it is movable. In high ringbone the inferior extremity 

 of the OS suffraginis is most frequently attacked, while iu 

 low ringbone the enlargement is somewhere about the 

 inferior extremity of the os corona. Passive flexion, 

 extension and rotation show limited mobility of the diseased 

 joint, indicating anchylosis; there is also permanent volar 

 flexion of the j^halanges. A positive diagnosis can, as a 

 rule, only be arrived at after the enlargement has fully 

 developed. 



