WINDGALLS. 



By the term windgalls, horsemen understand those small puffy swellings^ 

 commonly met with in different positions on the fetlock joint. These little 

 swellings, which are due to a distention of the synovial sacs of the fetlocks, 

 are not of very serious moment. When the windgall is situated between the 

 tendon at the back of the fetlock joint and the sesamoid bones, it is spoken of as 

 thoroughpin of the fetlock. This name is given to it, because, being prevented 

 by the tendon from projecting backwards, it makes its appearance on both 

 sides as a divided swelling at the back of the joint. The treatment of 

 windgalls is not of much importance. The application of a bandage, tightly 

 applied, will often prove useftd by maintaining firm pressure on the distended 

 sacs. Rest also tends to reduce them. Mild blisters, such as liniment of 

 iodine, are in most instances only temporarily efficacious. The cold douche, 

 followed by the application of bandages moistened with some cooling lotion,, 

 often proves very useful by astringing the relaxed tissues of the part. The 

 treatment, however, which we recommend is the application of a smart 

 blister. 



t> 



BOG SPAVIN. 



By the term bog spavin, we understand an elastic, boggy swelling, situated at 

 the inner side and front of the hock joint. It is a distended condition of the 

 synovial or lining membrane of the true hock joint ; and it occupies therefore 

 a higher position than that generally taken by an ordinary bone spavin, with 

 which it has no relationship except in name. As it increases in size, it 

 extends up the leg for several inches. Bog spavin is of two chief varieties, 

 which must be carefully distinguished from each other ; as, while one kind 

 constitutes unsoundness, the other does not, as a rule, impair the usefulness 

 of the animal. The former variety is caused by inflammation of the hock 

 joint. When this is acute, there is marked lameness, and the animal cannot 

 put his leg to the ground. The pain, tenderness, and swelling, which is 

 hard, are great ; and constitutional symptoms manifest themselves. When 

 the inflammation is of a chronic variety, it may be due to a rheumatic 

 affection of the hock joint bones or other causes. When the affection of the 

 bones of the hock is of a rheumatic nature, extensive changes occur in the 

 cartilages of the joint, and the disease is incurable. The other variety of 

 bog-spavin is, just as in the less severe variety of thoroughpin, due to a 

 dropsical condition of the joint, and is not generally provocative of pain. In 

 this case, the swelling is not tender or hot, and when felt is found to be 

 boggy and elastic. The inflammatory variety of bog-spavin is generally due 

 to sprain of some of the structures of the hock joint ; whereas the dropsical 

 variety is generally due to overworking, while the bones of the animal are 

 not full grown. Heredity, as in the case of thoroughpin, we believe, is 

 sometimes answerable for the predisposition which some animals have to 

 bog-spavin. Cold, wet, and chill are potent factors in the causation of the 

 rheumatic variety. 



