548 DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT. 



Moderate work, if it can be done without the foot getting wet, 

 will expedite a Cure. The following is highly recommended as a 

 dressing: Take equal parts of pine tar and lard,, melt over a slow 

 fire, and add sulphuric acid very slowly until ebullition (boiling) 

 ceases. Apply this to the parts. 



SPRAINS, , BRUISES, ETC. 



Sprains are so common, and so liable to spoil a .horse when 

 neglected or not treated properly, and in addition the treatment is 

 so simple and easily applied, that the subject is worthy of more than 

 ordinary attention. On this account I have introduced several il- 

 lustrations, showing the parts in the fore legs that are most liable to 

 such injury. 



Sprain may be said to consist in an overstretching of the part 

 (be it muscle, tendon, or ligament) to such a degree as to cause 

 rupture of some of the fibers of which it is composed, in consequence 

 of which inflammation is set up, and effusion takes place, producing 

 enlargement around the part. 



The reason Why sprains take so long to recover is, the lacerated 

 fibers have to be absorbed, and new ones formed in their place, or, 

 as is often the case in repeated sprain of the same part, their place 

 is filled up by organized lymph, leaving a permanent thickening. 



Causes. — Natural weakness of the part, sometimes predisposes 

 to it. It may arise from whatever exposes the 'part to inordinate 

 exertion, as> for instance, slipping on ice or on a rolling stone, awk- 

 ward stepping, galloping on rough or uneven ground, and a com- 

 mon cause is allowing the feet to grow too long, 



Symptoms— In severe cases the part is swollen, hot, ahd tender ; 

 the limb is thrown into a position that relaxes the sprained part. 

 If extensive, we have symptomatic fever, and he refuses his food, 

 the mouth is hot, pulse accelerated, etc., which passes off when the 

 more acute symptoms subside. Lameness, of course, is continuous, 

 thus differing frohi disease of the joint, in which he is always lamest 

 at starting, getting less lame as he gets warmed up. 



Treatment.— No matter where the location of the sprain is, or 

 what part is injured, the principle of treatment is the same, when 

 we have three indications presented : First, to allay the inflam- 

 matory process ; second, to promote absorption of the decayed 

 fibers ; and third, to hasten the production of new ones. Most 

 authors recommend either local or general depletion by bleeding 

 from one of the large veins near the seat of injury, or from the ju- 

 gular vein of the neck- This, however, I think is now-a-days very 



