24 SPEAINS. 



healthy condition. Horses out of work are much more liable to 

 sprain than those which are " fit and well ; " for the more a healthy 

 part is exercised, short of injuring it, the more blood is brought 

 to it, and consequently, the stronger it becomes. But if exercise 

 be curtailed, any violent or unaccustomed exertion will be liable to 

 injuriously affect it. 



Unprincipled persons wanting to sell a horse with a thickened 

 tendon or ligament, sometimes try to make out that the leg is as 

 sound as when the animal was foaled, on the plea that the part 

 has become "callous," an expression which the buyer should under- 

 stand to mean " incurably weak ; " for here we have, as a rule, 

 a stage long past that in which repair is possible. 



PRINCIPLES OF TREATMENT.— In the case of sprain, were there but 

 little extravasated blood and exuded plasma — the continued presence of which 

 fluids, as we have seen, renders the part weak and stiff by interfering with 

 the circulation and by giving rise to adhesions — the broken fibres would unite 

 as completely, other things being equal, as the ends of a bone, in the case of 

 a simple fracture. Hence, our first efforts should be directed to check the 

 accumulation, in the part, of these fluids, and to hasten their removal from 

 it. The two most important factors in the treatment of sprain, are massage 

 and well-regulated pressure (page 45). Above all things, the pressure should 

 be uniformly distributed, because unequally distributed pressure is almost 

 certain to cause irritation, if not inflammation, of the part, in either of which 

 cases, the sprain will be aggravated. By the usual method of employing 

 pressure, say, on a fetlock by means of an ordinary bandage, we succeed in 

 applying it only on bony prominences, and not on the soft parts which 

 specially require it. When bandaging, in the same way, a leg between the 

 knee or hock and fetlock, the effect obtained is merely to x^ush the sus- 

 pensory ligament against the cannon bone, without also (as we ought to do) 

 putting pressure on each side of it. By employing, on the contrary, the 

 method of evenly distributed pressure described on page 45, these faults are 

 obviated. 



As subjecting the already weakened part to strain, would be liable to give 

 rise to fresh injury ; rest from all severe exercise is a necessity. As soon, 

 however, as the heat and tenderness have subsided, and lameness at a walk 

 has disappeared, we may begin to give our patient, two or three times a day, 

 a little very gentle exercise ; for long continued inaction after sprain is certain 

 to be followed by the formation of adhesions. 



Massage or hand-rubbing (p. 664) should be used after a sprain, as soon 

 as it can be employed without inflicting pain. Its benefits appear to be due 

 chiefly to pressure ; to the fact of its stimulating the action of the blood- 

 vessels which are near the surface of the body ; and to its mechanical effect 

 in quickening the circulation of the lymphatics. The marked increase of 

 temperature from hand-rubbing, is a convincing proof of its stimulating power 

 on the blood-vessels. 



Passive exercise, which, in the case of a limb, may be obtained by gently 

 bending and straightening the joints, with the foot off the ground and the 

 animal standing still, should be carried out, after the first day or two, a couple 

 of times a day, in order to prevent the formation of adhesions. 



Purgatives act beneficially by diminishing the congestion of the blood- 

 vessels, in that they remove from, them a large quantity of watery fluid. 



Drinking water should be allowed in a full supply, in order that the blood 

 may be kept in a sufficiently fluid state for the due performance of its 

 functions. There is no danger of the horse drinking too much ; for any sur- 

 plus will be quickly excreted by the kidnej^s, lungs, skin, &c. 



