246 DISEASES OF BONE. 



(to use the French expression) is usually due to excessive strain of 

 the ligamentous fibres (p. 230) which are inserted on that bone. 

 The resulting inflammation causes enlargement of the bone near 

 the seat of injury, and may extend downwards, thus increasing the 

 size, to a greater or less extent, of the remainder of the splint bone ; 

 hut not upwards, as already said. The inflammatory action may 

 be confined to the splint bone, or may extend inwards to the 

 head of the cannon bone, thus forming a splint, which (as ex- 

 plained by Goubaux and Barrier), by occupying a portion of the 

 groove (formed by the cannon bone and two small splint bones) in 

 which the suspensory ligament lies, will push out, to the rear, the 

 suspensory ligament and the back tendons, and will thus give rise 

 to curb. A jarde may also result from injury, as, for instance, a 

 kick. 



As a jarde does not extend upwards towards the joints of the 

 hock, it is much less serious than a spavin. It is an interesting 

 fact that the cases shown in Figs. 84 and 85, were those of hunters 

 which exhibited no sign of lameness. We may treat as for spavin 

 (p. 259). 



2. Colonel Nunn mentions three cases which he has had of lame- 

 ness in a fore leg from the enlarged bulb of the lower end of a 

 splint bone (Fig. 86) pressing on the nerve. The part was found to 

 be very painful on pressure being applied to it. A successful result 

 was obtained by making a longitudinal incision on the enlarged 

 bulb ; dissecting back the tissues ; and removing with a sharp bone 

 forceps about IJ inches of the end of the splint bone. 



Sore Shins 



in their fully-developed state, may be said to consist of bony for- 

 mations which are generally confined to the front of the lower third 

 of the cannon bone ; although the inflammation may involve the 

 whole of the front of the bone. The name is derived from the 

 fact that the deposit is usually on the front of the bone. The 

 disease being due to concussion, is generally confined to the fore 

 legs; although, sometimes, all four cannon bones are implicated. 

 Lameness from sore shins, like that from splints, is far more 

 common among young horses than among older animals ; but sore 

 shins, unlike splints, are confined almost entirely to young race- 

 horses, which animals get their work principally at the gallop, in 

 which pace the heel is brought to the ground at a moment when 

 the leg is stretched out to the front (Fig. 10); and, consequently, 

 as the shock is transmitted vertically upwards from the heel, its 

 eft'ects will be felt at the lower part of the cannon bone, i.e., at the 

 seat of sore shins. In the trot, the heel meets the ground when 



