STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF BONE. JOINTS. 97 



who knows the form of the bones, and possesses sufficient ana- 

 tomical knowledge to recognize the direction of the displace- 

 ment. No injury to a joint should be neglected. Inflamma- 

 tion once started there is often difficult to check and runs on, 

 in a chronic way, until the synovial surfaces are destroyed, 

 and the two bones perhaps grow together, rendering the joint 

 permanently stiff. A sprained joint should get immediate 

 and complete rest, for weeks if necessary, and if there be 

 much swelling, or continued pain, medical advice should be 

 obtained. An improperly cared-for sprain is the cause of many 

 a useless ankle or knee. 



