WOUNDS NEAR JOINTS. 91 



Although the foregoing dictum appears to settle the subject of 

 '' cutting " in a clearly defined manner, still, if we take into con- 

 sideration the more recent rulings on Holyday v. Morgan, 2nd 

 Nov., 1858 C' La,w Journal," vol. 28, part 2, p. 9, New Series) and 

 Coates T. Stephens f' Moody and Robinson's Reports," vol. 2, p. 

 158), we must admit that a horse should be regarded as unsound, if 

 he is less than reasonably fit for immediate use, for instance, on ac- 

 count of his habit of cutting. This would especially apply to horses 

 required for cross-country work, at which, animals given to the 

 fault in question might be most dangerous to ride. Besides, 

 I hardly think that a horse which required the employment of 

 special precautions, such as a peculiar method of shoeing, or the 

 wearing of " boots " to prevent him from cutting himself, could be 

 deemed soimd. I would therefore, in my capacity of veterinary 

 surgeon, pass, as sound, a horse which had marks of cutting, only 

 after finding that he did not *' cut " during a searching trial, such 

 as a day's hunting, or a fairly long day's journey. 



Wounds on or near Joints. 



The great danger to be feared from these wounds, is the formation 

 of open joint, which is one of the most serious accidents that can 

 happen to a horse; for the sufferer is apt to die from the ensuing- 

 constitutional disturbance, and even if he recovers, there is a strong 

 l^robability that he will have a permanently stiff joint. 



These injuries usually occur on the knee, fetlock, or hock, and 

 are generally caused by falls, kicks, or by inexperienced persons 

 probing about a joint which has been hurt. No unnecessary probing 

 of a wound near a joint, should be allowed on any account; for even 

 a very slight extension of the wound may open the joint. 



SYMPTOMS. — If the joint has not been opened or severely in- 

 jured, the wound will have an ordinary appearance, except that 

 there may be a flow of synovia (joint oil), which may take place 

 from wounded synovial sacs without the joint having been pene- 

 trated. In a case of inflamed open joint, the discharge becomes 

 more and more unhealthy, until at last, it becomes mixed with 

 matter (pus) and blood, and assumes a foetid odour. After 

 two or three days, the joint swells, and becomes very painful, 

 and high fever sets in. In unfavourable cases, the animal dies from 

 exhaustion, or at best, recovers with a permanently stiff joint. 



The special liability of a joint to suffer irreparable injury from the forma- 

 tion of pu-i in it is due (1) to the difficulty of effectively draining the 

 cavity ; and (2) to the fact that, to work properly, the articular surfaces 

 (p. 269) must be absolutely smooth and their lubricating apparatus in perfect 

 order ; failure in this mechanism being productive of disorganising changes 

 and chronic lameness. The smallest opening which will admit air, or worse 

 still, water or dirt, into the joint, may give ri^e to pus with its attendant 



