DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 217 



they interfere with the joint or the passage of any 

 of the tendons. 



Causes: Some horses are predisposed to bony 

 diseases from the least injury, while others are not, 

 and in selecting mares for breeding purposes the 

 former should be rejected; strains, bruises, or in- 

 juries to the cartilage of the joints. 



Symptoms : When the membrane of the bone or 

 cartilage becomes inflamed there may be great 

 lameness for several months before any enlarge- 

 ment takes place, and it is somewhat difficult to 

 detect. The absence of other diseases of the foot, 

 with some heat in the pasterns, and soreness on 

 pressure or moving the joints. In other cases the 

 enlargement may make its appearance for some 

 time before the horse becomes lame, and in some 

 cases it may never cause any lameness, but should 

 always be looked upon with suspicion, as in the 

 majority of cases they sooner or later cause lame- 

 ness. Ringbone is more difficult to cure on the 

 fore foot than on the hind one, as the pasterns are 

 more upright on the former than on the latter, and 

 besides, the horse's fore legs have to bear two- 

 thirds the weight of the body. 



Treatment: The horse should have rest, and 

 the shoes be removed and the foot pared level. If 

 there is heat in the part keep it wet with acetate 

 of lead half an ounce, to the quart of water, by 

 means of a bandage saturated with it. Continue 

 tjiis for a few days, then apply a blister composed 

 of cantharides two drams, biniodide of mercury 



