368 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



If a slight pressure on the back or the loins is followed by a mod- 

 erate yielding of the animal, it is, as before remarked, a good sign 

 of health. With a sprain of the loins pressure of any kind is painful, 

 and will cause the animal to bend or to crouch under it more or less, 

 according to the weight of the pressure. Heavy loads, and even 

 heavy harnessing, will develop this tenderness. In lying down he 

 seems to suffer much discomfort, and often accompanies the act with 

 groaning, and when compelled to rise does so only with great diffi- 

 culty and seldom succeeds without repeated efforts. 



Sprains of muscles proper, when recent, will always be accom- 

 panied by this series of symptoms, and the fact of their exhibition, 

 with an excessive sensibility of the parts, and possibly with a degree 

 of swelling, will always justify a diagnosis of acute muscular lesion; 

 and especially so if accompanied by a history of violent efforts, 

 powerful muscular strains, falls, heavy loading, etc., connected with 

 the case. But if the symptoms have been of slow development and 

 gradual increase, it becomes a more difficult task to determine whether 

 the diagnosis points to 2:)athological changes in the structure of the 

 muscles or of the bones, the nervous centers, or the blood vessels of 

 the region. And yet it is important to decide as to which particular 

 structure is affected in reference to the question of prognosis, since 

 the degree of the gravity of the lesion will depend largely upon 

 whether the disabled condition of the animal is due to an acute or a 

 chronic disease. 



Treatment. — The prescription which will necessarily first of all 

 suggest itself for sprains of the loins is rest. An animal so affected 

 should be immediately placed in slings and none of his efforts to 

 release himself should be allowed to succeed. Hot compresses, cold 

 water douches, sweating applications, stimulating frictions, strength- 

 ening charges, blistering ointments of cantharides and the actual cau- 

 tery, all have their advocates; but in no case can the immobility 

 obtained by the slings be dispensed with. In many cases electricity 

 has also yielded good results, where the weakness of the hind quarters 

 was caused by disease of the nervous centers. 



