304 THE HORSE. 



will be to a certain extent united by anchylosis. In rery bad 

 cases there will be also caries of the articulatory surfaces, and with 

 it inflammation of the synovial membranes, which may and often 

 does exist without the caries. Now as these are much more for- 

 midable diseases than exostosis, and far more difficult either to 

 cure or palliate, it follows that although certain remedies will be 

 generally successful with genuine bone spavin (exostosis), yet they 

 will fail when the above complication exists. The treatment must 

 therefore be adapted to the exact nature and extent of the disease. 

 Prior to the adoption of any plan the joint should be rested, the 

 outer heel of the shoe should be lowered, the corn should be taken 

 away, and the system cooled by appropriate treatment. After 

 these precautions are taken, the next thing is to decide upon the 

 remedies which will be suited to the case. They consist in — 1. 

 Blisters, which have a tendency to cause absorption ; 2. Firing; 3. 

 Setons, with or without subcutaneous scarification ; 4. Division of 

 the nerve. If there is simply a slight exostosis, with little lameness, 

 and no evidence of the joint being implicated, the biniodide of mer- 

 cury may be applied as described at page 300. Repeated dressings 

 will be necessary, and the joint must have at least two months' abso- 

 lute rest, the horse being placed in a loose box. This remedy is 

 often successful, but it will fail utterly where the exostosis is ex- 

 tensive, or there is caries, or even severe inflammation of the 

 synovial membrane. Arsenic, sulphuric acid, and other caustic 

 applications, have been counted as infallible cures ; but while they 

 are just as certain to produce a blemish as firing, the extent to 

 which the inflammation and sloughing, caused by them, go is far 

 more completely beyond our control. Arsenic has been known to 

 destroy the joint, by producing a slough of the synovial membrane, 

 and it is said that the sulphuric acid, which, however, is often very 

 successful, has had a similar unfortunate result; but of its being 

 followed by serious blemishes there is abundant proof. Firing is 

 the safest, and, therefore, the usual plan adopted for spavin, and 

 on the first intimation of the disease it is often adopted without 

 any necessity for having recourse to so disfiguring a process. Its 

 chief advantage is, that while it is a certain means of establishing 

 a strong counter-irritation, it has no tendency to cause any increase 

 of inflammation in the structures beneath the skin, and therefore 

 the good it does is unalloyed by any counterbalancing evil. It is 

 now the fashion to deny its use, and horsemasters are often tempted 

 to try some substitute for it in the hope of escaping a blemish; but 

 too often they are compelled to submit to it at last, and probably 

 after the disease has been aggravated by some " unfailing" remedy. 

 If there is a strong desire expressed to avoid a blemish, the vete- 

 rinary surgeon is perfectly warranted in doing all in his power to 

 efi'ect a cure without the use of the irons; but the mere fashion of 



