THE SKELETON. 407 



which gives rise to excessive and sudden lameness when 

 heavy fat cattle are made to travel any distance. 



Displacement of the A hdudor femoris has been described 

 by some authors. It gives rise to hip lameness, with 

 a dragging of the limb and imperfect flexion. Incision 

 through the investing fascia is necessary to free the 

 muscle. It is seen in working cattle and in mountainous 

 districts. 



In muscles certain parasites take up their abode. Of 

 these the most important are the Trichina and Cysticerci. 

 These have, in this country, only been found in the ox as 

 a result of experimental investigation. It seems probable 

 that the Cysticercus hovis frequently occurs in the flesh of 

 cattle in India and other warm climates. Certain psoro- 

 sperms, very low organisms belonging to the Gregarinidae, 

 have been found in the flesh of oxen. These have been 

 described as cattle-plague bodies — '^ Miescher's^^ or 

 " E-ainey's^^ bodies — are detectable under high powers, and 

 have no clinical importance. They are found in healthy 

 as well as diseased animals. 



Sometimes wounds lay open synovial tendinous sheaths. 

 The lining membrane exposed to the air becomes 

 thickened and discharges largely, manifesting all the 

 signs of acute inflammation. The continuous application 

 of cold water seems to be the best means which can be 

 adopted. 



Section 3. — Abnoemalities of the Joints. 



The various affections of the joints are not so frequent 

 in the ox as in the horse. We may enumerate the 

 following : 



Aethkitis — Inflammation of a Joint — generally depends 

 upon rheumatism or scrofula, or arsenical-fume poisoning, 

 but sometimes is simple and due to ostitis, or punctured 

 wounds or bruises. The specific affections have been 

 already noticed and compared. Traumatic arthritis causes 

 ulceration of the extremities of the bones, which produces 

 ulceration of the articular surfaces, with sometimes loose 



