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Sprains of muscles proper, when receut, will always be accompanied 

 by this series of symptoms, and the fact of tlieir exhibition, with an ex- 

 cessive sensibility of the parts, and possibly with a degree of swelling, 

 will always justify a diagnosis of acute muscular lesion ; and especially 

 so if accompanied by a history of violent efforts, powerful muscular I 

 strains, falls, heavy loading, etc., connected with the case. But if the | 

 symptoms have been of slow development and gradual increase, it be- 

 comes a more difficult task to determine whether the diagnosis points 

 to i^athological changes in the structure of the muscles or of the bones, 

 the nervous centers or the blood-vessels of the region. And yet it is 

 important to decide as to which particular structure is affected in ref- 

 erence to the question of prognosis, since the degree of the gravity of 

 the lesion will depend largely upon whether the disabled condition of 

 the animal is due to an acute or a chronic disease. The prescription 

 which will necessarily first of all suggest itself for sprains of the loins 

 is rest. An animal so affected should be immediately placed in slings 

 and none of his efibrts to release himself should be allowed to succeed. 

 Hot compresses, cold-water douches, sweating applications, stimulat- 

 ing frictions, strengthening charges, blistering ointments of cantharides 

 and the actual cautery, all have their advocates ; but in no case can 

 the immobility obtained by the slings be dispensed with. In many 

 cases electricity has also yielded good results, where the weakness of 

 the hind quarters was dependent on disease of the nervous centers. 



