353 



out of his stable and ceasing immediately after. In some animals it is 

 best seen when the animal is turning around on the affected leg, and is 

 not noticed when he moves straight forward. That this peculiar action 

 interferes with facility of locomotion and detracts from a horse's claim 

 to soundness can not for a moment be denied. 



Veterinarians and pathologists are yet in doubt in respect to the 

 cause of this affection, as well as to its essential nature. Whether it 

 results from disease of the hock, of an ulcerative character; whether it 

 springs from a malformation ; Whether it is purely a muscular or purely 

 a nervous lesion, or a compound of both, it still continues, if an etiolo- 

 gist is bound to possess universal knowledge within the scope of his 

 special studies, to be his opjirobrium and his puzzle. 



Various experiments in the line of treatment have been instituted, 

 but none have been crowned with satisfactory results. We iucliue to 

 the opinion that some undesignated disease of the hock is responsible 

 for it, and believe that in the present state of knowledge the best pre- 

 scription that can be devised is the safe and economical one of rest, a 

 long rest in a pasture, where unmolested nature shall be permitted to 

 bring about any necessary change that may be appropriate to the case. 

 Whatever other treatment it may be considered wise to undertake must 

 be of a widely different character, and must be determined upon by 

 those whose chosen and approjiriate sphere is the domain of operative 

 surgery. 



UmboUsms. — There are certain forms of lameness which are very 

 peculiar in their manifestation, and which to the non-professional mind 

 must appear to belong rather to the domain of mystery or theory than 

 to be subjects of experimental and definite knowledge. Yet they are 

 none the less susceptible of demonstration and positive knowledge than 

 many facts which, plain and familiar to the general comprehension now, 

 were once ranked among things occult and unsearchable. An embo- 

 lism, considered as a cause of lameness, may find a place among these 

 understood mysteries. 



Under certain peculiar conditions of inflammation of the blood ves- 

 sels, clots of blood are sometimes formed in the arteries and find their 

 way in the general circulation. At first, while very small, or suffi- 

 ciently so to pass from one vessel to another, they move from a small 

 vessel to a larger, and from that to one still larger, constantly increas- 

 ing in size until at some given point, from their inability to enter smaller 

 vessels, their movement is finally arrested. The artery is thus effect- 

 ually dammed, and the clot in a short time cuts off completely the sup- 

 ply of blood from the parts beyond. This is the embolism, and it often 

 gives rise to sudden and excessive lameness of a very i^ainful character. 



Embolisms may form in any of the arteries of the body, and doubt- 

 less have been the cause of many cases of lameness which could never 

 be accounted for. If they exist in small arteries their diagnosis will 

 probably fail to be made out with certainty, but when situated in the 

 11035 23 



