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injury does terminate favourably, the bones forming the joint often become 

 united together, and the animal has a stiff joint for life. 



We do not propose to enter deeply into the treatment of open joint-. 

 Considerable skill is requisite to secure a good result in such cases. The 

 animal should be placed in slings, as otherwise he will soon fall, and be 

 unable to rise again. A dose of aloes should be given in the first instance, 

 and the diet should be of a nutritious, laxative nature. As the disease 

 progresses, it is most important that the diet should be as tempting and as 

 nutritious as possible, as the continuous discharge proves very debilitating. 

 After the administration of the aloes, if the febrile symptoms are very 

 marked, a drench, containing three ounces of liquor ammonii acetatis, and 

 five drops of Fleming's tincture of aconite, may be given in a little water, 

 every four hours, until the acute symptoms subside. There are 

 several plans of treating the injury locally. Probably one of the 

 best of these is the antiseptic method. The wound is carefully bathed with 

 lotion of carbolic acid (carbolic acid one part, glycerine four parts, water 

 twenty parts), and is then covered over with a quantity of gauze or lint of 

 eucalyptus and iodoform. This acts as an efficient antiseptic. Around the 

 antiseptic dressing, a bandage is then not too firmly wound. The w^ound 

 will require to be dressed every other day, or more frequently, if there be any 

 accumulation of matter. Some authorities recommend the application of a 

 blister around the opening, when the swelling is very marked. In some 

 instances, this plan seems to be attended with beneficial results. 



RUPTURE. 



Of ruptures or hernia?, as these injuries are termed, there are two kinds to 

 which the horse is liable. At the navel, rupture through the walls of the 

 belly is not uncommon, and is readily detected. In this kind of rupture, 

 which is generally present at birth, or occurs shortly afterwards, the bowel 

 may or may not escape into the tumour. In many cases the rupture 

 disappears spontaneously, more especially in young foals. In order to cure 

 this variety of hernia the animal should be cast, the bowels being previously 

 opened by the administration of a pint of linseed oil. For several hours 

 before operating, all food should be withheld. After casting the animal, the 

 swelhng is pushed up into the belly, and the loose skin is then drawn up 

 tightly on the fingers, and maintained thus by two skewers passed through 

 it, one at either end. The skewers are then fastened together, and the skin 

 drawn up is held firmly, by strong twinfe passed round them. The skin then 

 gradually sloughs away, and needs, as a rule, no further attention. The 

 ligatures must not be too tightly applied. When the rupture occurs in the 

 walls of the belly, but not through the navel, it should be passed back and 

 retained there, by the careful application of bandages. 



The second variety of rupture, of which we need not speak at length, 

 is termed inguinal hernia. In chronic cases, as a rule, there is not much 



