342 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



flexion or extension. The action of the joint below, as a natural con- 

 sequence, is limited in its flexion. In many instances there is a cer- 

 tain amount of swelling at the point of injury — at the joint, or more 

 commonly in front of it, or on the surface of the spinatus muscle. 

 Again, instead of swelling there will be muscular atrophy, though 

 while this condition of loss of muscular power may interfere with 

 perfect locomotion, it is not in itself usually a cause of shoulder lame- 

 ness. " Sweenied " shoulders are more often due to disease below 

 the fetlock than to affections above the elbow. 



During rest the animal often carries his leg forward, somewhat 

 analogous to the " pointing " position of navicular disease, though in 

 some cases the painful member drops at the elbow in a semiflexed 

 position. The backing is sometimes typical, the animal when per- 

 forming it, instead of flexing his shoulder, dragging the whole leg 

 without motion in the upper segment of the extremity. 



The peculiar manner in which the leg is brought forward in the air 

 for another step in the act of walking or trotting is in some instances 

 characteristic of injuries of the shoulder. The lameness also mani- 

 fests itself in bringing the leg forward with a circumflex swinging 

 motion and a shortening in the extension of the step. The foot is 

 carried close to the ground and stumbling is frequent, especially on 

 an inieven road. 



With the utmost scrutiny and care the vagueness and uncertainty 

 of the symptoms will contribute to perplex and discredit the diagnosis 

 and embarrass the surgeon, and sometimes the expedient is tried of 

 aggravating the symptoms by way of intensifying their significance, 

 and thus rendering them more intelligible. This has been sought by 

 requiring the patient to travel on hard or very soft ground and 

 compelling him to turn on the sound leg as a pivot, with other 

 motions calculated to betray the locality of the pain. 



Treatment. — It is our conviction that lameness of the shoulder will 

 in many cases disappear with no other prescription than that of rest. 

 Provided the lesions occasioning it are not too severe, time is all that 

 is required. But the negation of letting alone is seldom accepted as 

 a means of doing good, in the place of the active and the positive 

 forms of treatment. This is in accordance with a trait of human 

 nature which is universal, and is unlimited in its applications. 

 Hence there must be something done. In mild cases of shoulder 

 lameness, then, the indications are water, either in the cold douche 

 or by showering, or by warm fomentations. Warm wet blankets are 

 of great service; and in addition, or as alternative, anodyne lini- 

 ments, camphor, belladonna, either in the form of tincture or the 

 oils, are of benefit, and at a later period stimulating friction with 

 suitable mixtures, sweating liniments, blistering compounds, sub- 

 cutaneous injections over the region of the muscle of 1^ grains of 



