468 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



appetite is lost, thirst is present, the horse reeks with sweat, and 

 shows by an anxious countenance the pain 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 insignifi- 

 cant, 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 part in clots like jelly, or resembling some- 

 what the white of an egg. Not infrequently the joint opens at dif- 

 ferent places, discharging at first a thin bloody fluid that soon as- 

 sumes the character above described. 



Treatment of these wounds is most difficult and unsatisfactory. 

 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 estab- 

 lished the case becomes one of grave tendencies. Whenever a punc- 

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

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

 cantharides 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 perform 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 inflammation established it acts to check and abate all 

 deep-seated inflammation. 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 occurring later 

 in 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 when swelling of the leg or increasing febrile symptoms 

 demand it. In the treatment of open joints our chief aim must be 

 to close the orifice as soon as possible. For this reason repeated prob- 

 ing or even injections are contraindicated. The only probing of an 

 open joint that is to be sanctioned is on our first visit, when we should 

 carefully examine the wound for foreign bodies or dirt, and after 

 removing them the probe must not again be used. The medicines 

 used to coagulate the synovial discharge are best simply applied to 

 the surface of the wound, on pledgets of tow, and held in place by 

 bandages. Internal treatment is also indicated in those cases of 

 open joints where the suffering is great. At first we should admin- 

 ister a light physic and follow this up with sedatives and anodynes, 

 as directed for contused wounds. Later, however, we should give 

 quinine, or salicylic acid in 1-dram doses two or three times a day. 

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