412 



Since the deposit of the bony matter often begins in that part of the 

 cartilage Avliere it is attached to the coffin bone, the diseased process 

 may exist for some time before the bony growtli can be seen or felt. 

 Later on, however, the cartilage can be felt to have lost its soft elastic 

 character, and by standing in front of the animal a prominence of the 

 coronary region at the quarters can be seen. Occasionally these 

 bones become so large as to bulge the hoof outward, and by pressing 

 on the joint they so interfere Avith locomotion that the animal becomes 

 entirely useless. 



Treatment. — So soon as the disease can be diagnosed active treat- 

 ment should be adopted. Cold water bandages are to be used for a 

 few days to relieve the fever and soreness. 



The imjjrovement consequent on the use of these simx3le measures 

 of ten leads to the belief that the disease has recovered; but with a 

 return to work the lameness, fever, etc., reappears. For this reason 

 the use of blisters, or better still the firing iron, should follow on the 

 discontinuance of the cold bandages. 



But in many instances no treatment will arrest the growth of these 

 bony tumors, and as a palliative measure neurotomy must be resorted 

 to. Generally this operation will so relieve the pain of locomotion 

 that the patient nnay be used for slow work; but in animals used for 

 faster driving or for saddle purjioses the operation is ijractically use- 

 less. Some years ago I unnerved a number of cavalry horses at Fort 

 Leavenworth that were suffering from sidebones, and the records show 

 that in less than seven months' time all were more lame than ever. 

 Since a predisposition todeveloj) sidebones maybe inherited, animals 

 suffering from this disease should not be used for breeding ijurposes 

 unless the trouble is known to have originated from an accident. 



RINGBONE. 



A ringbone is the growth of a bony tumor on the ankle. This tumor 

 is in fact not the disease, but simply the result effected by an inflam- 

 matory action set up in the periosteum and bone tissue proper of! the 

 large and small pastern bones. (Plate XXXII, Fig. 1.) 



Causes. — Injuries, such as blows, sprains, overwork in young unde- 

 veloped animals, fast work on hard roads, jumiiing, etc., are among 

 the principal exciting causes of ringbones. Horses most disposed to 

 this disease are those with short upright pasterns, for the reason that 

 the shock of locomotion is but imperfectly dissipated in the fore legs 

 of these animals. Imi^roper shoeing, such as the use of high calks, 

 a too great shortening of the toe and correspondingly high heels, 

 predispose to this disease by increasing the concussion to the feet. 



Symptoiris. — The first symptom of an actively developed ringbone 

 is the appearance of a lameness more or less acute. If the bony tumor 

 forms on the side or upper parts of the large pastern its growth is 

 generally unattended with acute inflammatory action, and, conse- 

 quently, produces no lameness or evident fcA-er. These are called 



