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involving the fetlock itself. It is always characterized by heat, and it 

 is variously sensitive, ranging from a mere tenderness to a degree of 

 soreness which shrinks from the lightest touch. The degrees of the 

 lameness vary, and it has a corresponding range with the soreness, 

 sometimes showing only a slight halting and at others the extreme of 

 lameness on three legs, with intermediate degrees. 



It has for its cause, like all the other forms, external traumatism by 

 falls, blows, etc., and may be considered serious or trifling, according to 

 the circumstances of each case as judged by its own history. It may be 

 safely assumed on general principles that a leg which has received such 

 injuries very seldom returns to a perfect condition of efficiency and 

 soundness, and that as a fact a certain absolute amount of thickening 

 and deformity will remain in permanency, even when the lameness has 

 entirely disappeared. 



For this reason the injured member should receive the earliest atten- 

 tion possible, not only when the inflammatory condition is present but 

 when it is subsiding, and there is only the thickening of the ligaments, 

 the tendons, or the sheath. Cold bathing, cold-water bandages, either 

 simple or with astringent solutions, do well in some cases, while in 

 others hot applications have the preference, with complete rest ; also, 

 moderate exercise j frictions with alcohol j tincture of soap ; spirits of 

 camphor; mild liniments; strong sweating liniments; blisters; the 

 cautery — these are the means by which the absorption of the exudate 

 must be promoted and the work of restoration effected. The prepara- 

 tions of iodine are often of benefit in mild cases, but there are others 

 in which the thickening of the tendons refuses to yield and the changed 

 tissues remain firmly organized, leaving them in the form of a tbick 

 mass resting on the back part of the cannon bone. As a consequence 

 the deformity remains and a new condition presents itself in the artic- 

 ular disposition, constituting the deformity known as theJcnucldhig fet- 

 locli. 



By this is meant a deformity of the fetlock joint by which the natural 

 angle is changed from that which pertains to the healthy articulation. 

 The first pastern or suffraginis loses its oblique direction and assumes 

 another which varies from the upright to the oblique, from before back- 

 wards, and from above downwards ; in other words, forming an angle 

 with its point in front. 



This condition, as we have seen, may be the result of chronic disease 

 producing structural changes in the tendons, and it may also occur as 

 the result of other affections or some peculiarity independent of this 

 and situated below the fetlock, such as ringbones, sidebones, or trau- 

 matic disease of the foot proper. Animals are sometimes predisposed 

 to knuckling, such, for example, as are naturally straight in their pas- 

 terns or animals which are compelled to labor when too young. The 

 hind legs are more predisposed than the fore to this deformity, in conse- 

 quence of the greater amount of labor they are required to perform 

 as the propelling levers of the body. 



