DISEASES AND INJURIES OF THE LEGS. 215 



bind up the joint loosely with muslin bandages, and keep wet with cold 

 water until the inflammation subsides, afterward rub twice daily for a 

 week with: 



Oil of turpentine, 



Tincture of cantharides aa § iss. 



Give very gentle work for some time. 



SPRAIN OF THE FLEXOR TENDONS. 



Synonym. — Sprain of the back sinews. 



Etiology. — Too heavy loads, especially when shod with high toe calks. 



Symptoms. — Tliere will be heat and swelling in the part; very often 

 during the earlier stages, the ligament can be felt swollen, prominent, 

 and bulging, the tendons themselves being quite normal; when pressed 

 upon, the horse evinces pain; stands with the leg upright, and moves it 

 stiflQy, digging his toe into the ground. When in the hind leg, flexion 

 is very imperfectly performed; he seems to throw the limb behind him as 

 he lifts it from the ground, and the fetlock and hock are not flexed as in 

 sound action. When the tendons themselves are involved, they will be 

 found swollen upwards and downwards from the seat of the original in- 

 jury; and this extension of the swelling prevents their gliding through 

 their thecae, particularly the thecae situated in the carpal or tarsal fossae. 



To detect very slight sprains, especially if situated in a hind leg, it 

 will often be necessary to compare the thickness of both legs by careful 

 manipulation, as the swelling can only be detected in that way, on ac- 

 count of the coarse hair aiid thick skin of cart-horses' legs. In the bet- 

 ter bred animal, a difEerence in the thickness can easily be seen as well 

 as felt. 



The special treatment required for this lameness is the application of 

 the high-heeled shoe, in order to throw the tendons into a state of relax- 

 ation, and a long period of rest. In chronic cases, where shortening has 

 permanently taken place, the operation of tenotomy must be performed. 



Many horses with contraction of the tendons will perform very light 

 work moderately well if a piece of iron is attached to the toe of the shoe, 

 projecting an inch or two in front of it, and slightly turned up at its 



