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Punctured wounds of joints — Open joints. — These wounds are more or 

 less frequeut. They are always serious, and ofteu result in anchylosis 

 (stiifening) of the joint or death of the animal. The joints mostly 

 punctured are the hock, fetlock, or knee, though other joints may of 

 course suffer this injury. As the symptoms and treatment are much 

 the same for all, I will only describe this accident as it occurs in the 

 hock joint. Probably the most common mode of injury is from the stab 

 of a fork, but it may result from the kick of another horse that is newly 

 shod, or in many other ways. At first the horse evinces but slight pain 

 or lameness. The owner discovers a small wound scarcely larger than 

 a pea, and pays but little attention to it. In a few days, however, tho 

 pain and lameness become excessive ; the horse can no longer bear any 

 weight upon the injured leg; the joint is very much swollen and pain- 

 ful upon pressure; there are well-marked symptoms of constitutional 

 disturbance — quick pulse, hurried breathing, high temperature, 103° to 

 100° Fahr., the appetite is lost, thirst is present, the horse reeks with 

 sweat, and shows by an anxious countenance the i)ain he suffers. He 

 may lie down, though mostly he persists in standing, and the opposite 

 limb becomes greatly swollen from bearing the entire weight and strain 

 for so long a time. The wound, which at first appeared so insignificant, 

 is now constantly discharging a thin, whitish or yellowish fluid— joint- 

 oil or water, which becomes coagulated about the mouth of the wound 

 and adheres to the jjartiu clots like jelly, or resembling somewhat the 

 white of an egg. Not infrequently the joint opens at different places, 

 discharging at first a thin bloody fluid that soon assumes the character 

 above described. 



Treatment of these wounds is most difficult and unsatisfactory. In 

 my own experience we can do much to prevent this array of symptoms 

 if the case is seen early, within the first twenty four or forty-eight 

 hours after the injury, but when inflammation of the joint is once fairly 

 established the case becomes one of grave tendencies. Whenever a 

 punctured wound of a joint is noticed, even though apparently of but 

 small moment, we should without the least delay apply a strong canthar- 

 ides blister over the entire joint, being even careful to fill the orifice 

 of the wound with the blistering ointment. This treatment is almost 

 always effectual. It operates to i)erform a cure in two ways — first, the 

 swelling of the skin and tissues underneath it completely closes the 

 wound and prevents the ingress of air; second, by the superficial in- 

 flammation established itacts to check and abate all deep-seated inflam- 

 mation. In the great majority of instances, if pursued soon after the 

 accident, this treatment performs a cure in about one week, but should 

 the changes described as occuiTing later ia the joint have already taken 

 place, we must then treat by cooling lotions and the application to the 

 wound of chloride of zinc, 10 grains to the ounce of water, or a paste 

 made up of flour and alum. A bandage is to hold these applications in 

 place, which is only to be removed v/hen swelling of the leg or iucreas- 



