46 SPRAINS. 



danger of putting on the second bandage too tightly, I find that 

 it is easier to distribute the pressure evenly with two bandages, 

 than with one. If we cannot get cotton wadding, we may substitute 

 ^ lb. of ordinary cotton wool (the medicated kind will not do as 

 well, because it has lost a great portion of its elasticity) and arrange 

 it round the leg; or we may use some other similar material, such 

 as sponge, avooI, or moss. I have sometimes found when using 

 cotton wool for the object in question, that its presence next the 

 skin gives rise to irritation, which untoward result I have been able 

 to obviate by, in the first instance, wrapping the leg loosely round 

 with a piece of soft cotton cloth, or by putting on an ordinary flannel 

 bandage, and the cotton wool over it. I have in no case known 

 irritation of the leg to be caused by the cotton wadding bandage 

 put on as I have described. No matter how bad the sprain over 

 which it has been placed, I have invariably found that its application 

 was followed by marked relief in the symptoms, provided, of course, 

 that it was emploj^ed during the early stages of the injury; that 

 is to say, before the exudation had become solidified and more or 

 less organised. We should remember that its use is to remove fluid, 

 the presence of which is liable to seriously impair the soundness of 

 the jDart. The bandage may be taken off after twenty-four hours, al- 

 though it is generally better to let it remain on for double that time 

 in the first instance. After the bandage has been removed, the foot 

 should be lifted off the ground, held up and the part carefully hand- 

 rubbed (p. 666); the leg bent and extended a few times; and a 

 fresh bandage of the same kind put on ; care being taken that none 

 of the material used has become caked. The bandage may now be 

 removed morning and evening, and the part hand-rubbed and pas- 

 sively worked by taking up the leg and bending the joints without 

 demanding any muscular effort from the horse. 



In case of descent of the fetlock, support can be given to that 

 joint by filling up the hollow at the back of the pastern by tightly 

 packed cotton wool, or other suitable material, over which a firm 

 bandage should be placed. A tennis ball might be utilised for 

 giving the required support. For the purpose in question, the 

 special shoe shown in Fig. 22 can be used with advantage. Wlien 

 placed on the foot, the fetlock rests on the cross bar, which should 

 be covered with soft material. 



In bandaging for sprains, on or above the knee and below the 

 elbow, we should first of all put a cotton wadding bandage, which 

 need not be tightly applied, on the leg up to the knee, so as to 

 prevent the bandage which we intend to place on the injured part, 

 from slipping down. 



I am indebted to Dr. Henderson, of Shanghai, for suggesting to 

 me the use, in horse practice, of this form of bandage, which I 



