SWELLED LEGS 151 



after firing, should such ever be applied before the 

 expiration of this period. 



Swelled legs are frequently caused by the inflam- 

 mation in one part of the body shifting its position to 

 the limbs. Occasionally the hind legs will swell to an 

 enormous size, from the hock, and almost from the 

 stifle-joint at times, down to the fetlock. The swelling 

 is accompanied by fever and heat, extreme tender- 

 ness of the skin, and great lameness. The pulse 

 becomes fast and hard. This condition denotes fever 

 or inflammation of the cellular substance of the legs ; 

 it is most violent in its degree, and therefore attended 

 by the pouring out of a great deal of fluid matter in 

 this cellular substance. Fomentations, diuretics, or 

 physic will frequently relieve the distension, which 

 will subside almost as suddenly as it appeared. 



Swelled legs often proceed from want of proper 

 exercise. Horses which are taken up from grass and 

 too suddenly put on hard food are frequently liable to 

 swelled legs, and horses generally are more liable to 

 thus suffer during the spring and fall of the year, 



Mallenders and sallenders are but very old-fashioned 

 terms for a scurfy eruption, which is the result of bad 

 feeding, want of proper grooming, etc., and it is some- 

 what difficult to get rid of. The term ' mallenders ' 

 refers to the eruption when it is in the fore-leg, 

 'sallenders' when in the hind. It appears under the 

 knees and hocks. 



If taken in time, a diuretic ball will generally go far 

 towards effecting a cure, and this may be followed by 

 the application of an ointment made of the following — 

 viz., sugar-of-lead, i part ; Stockholm tar, 2 parts ; 

 lard, 6 parts. The above should be well rubbed in. 



