472 CAUSE AND EFFECT OF STRAIN : [BOOK III. 



By this general mode of forming their judgment 

 as to the cause of all swellings before or behind, we 

 may perceive they included all " extensions" of the 

 bone in their notions of a strain, and treated spavin, 

 splent, curb, strain of the tendons and ligaments, 

 all in the same manner at first. Of these latter- 

 mentioned we come next to consider the distinguish- 

 ing symptoms and most appropriate methods of 

 cure ; and we will here candidly allow, at setting 

 out, that our neighbours took a correct view of the 

 general cause of all lameness : those strains which 

 occasion inflammation of the ligaments, tendons, 

 and muscles, always communicate fever to the foot*, 

 whence arise thrush, canker, sand-crack, &c. &c. 

 We very improperly, so far as precision is con- 

 cerned, term all lameness of the tendons, &c. a 

 strain, though it may arise from any other cause, as 

 frequently happens, viz, a blow given by the toe of 

 the hind foot, in hunting over heavy lands, when 

 the fore foot is detained too long in the ground, 

 coming in contact with rolling stones in leaping, 

 the kick of another horse, &c. 



The word strain, as here employed, is evidently 

 used in the wrong sense : it should be sprain, i. e. 

 bent or twisted out of its proper position. To strain, 

 or stretch any thing long to a greater length, as 

 when the back sinew is strained or enlarged so as 

 to permit the pasterns to slope or bend down, as in 

 mild cases of " breaking down"' would be a more 



• Turu back to pages 53, 54 ; and see page 482. 





