236 DISEASES OF BONE. 



brane of bone) with consequent, deposition of bony material. When 

 the bony enlargement is confined to the cannon bone, we may take 

 for granted that it has been caused by a blow. Violent shock 

 transmitted longitudinally through the colmnn of bones between 

 the knee and fetlock, is, naturally, the great cause of splints, 

 which consequently often result from fast movement, especially 

 on hard ground. Hence this disease is chiefly caused by trotting 

 on hard roads. It is evident that the higher the action and the 

 heavier the body of the horse, the more liable will he be to get 

 splints. Jumping is also a cause of splint. The more unused a 

 horse is to jumping, the more liable is it to cause a splint; because 

 practice teaches the animal to regulate his movements so as to 

 more or less diminish the disagreeable, if not actually painful 

 effects of concussion. 



Splints are to be found on the hind legs as well as on the 

 fore legs; but as the former are much less exposed to the effects 

 of concussion than the latter, splints on them are rarely of serious 

 detriment to the animal. This fact, and the less degree of atten- 

 tion which is usually given to the hind limbs than to the fore, 

 are no doubt the chief causes which make ignorant stablemen 

 frequently neglect to notice the existence of splints on the hind 

 extremities. Fig. 96 shows a splint on the inside of the near 

 hind, and close to the hock ; and Fig. 78, one on the outside of the 

 off hind, and also close to the joint. 



The absence, as a great rule, of marks of wounds of the skin 

 immediately over a splint on the inside of the leg, leads me to 

 think that a splint (using the term in its ordinary meaning) 

 seldom occurs from a blow with the other fore leg or with a 

 hind leg as the case may be. I am of course aware that a bony 

 deposit is often the result of "speedy cutting; " but English 

 veterinary surgeons do not apply the term splint to it. When 

 the bony enlargement, as I have already said, is due to a blow, 

 it will generally be confined to the cannon bone, and will therefore 

 be more forward than the usual seat of splint. 



VARIETIES OF SPLINTS.— Solleysel, followed by Percivall and 

 other writers, divided splints into five classes, viz: — 



1st. The simple splint, which is away from the knee, and does 

 not interfere with the tendons and suspensory ligament (Fig. 81). 

 In the majority of cases splints are of the simple form, which, as 

 it occasions but little lameness, is of trifling consequence as far 

 as the usefulness of the horse is concerned. 



2nd. The double or pegged splint " occurs when there are two 

 splints, one upon the outer, the other upon the inner side of the 

 leg, directly opposite tO' one another, as though they were pinned 



