840 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
sprains, brought about by overwork, extraordinary feats of strength 
jn drawing heavy loads, etc. In short, either sprain, injury, blow, 
or bruise may act as the pathological spark to bring cbout the 
disvase. 
Regarding the treatment of ring-bone, it would be intervstiny, 
and perhaps amusing, to call attention to some of the bernie 
methods of combating this malady; but the animal has nerves of 
sensibility, and is as keenly alive to pain as one of us; therefcre 
it is not really pleasant to dwell on the atrocities which are not 
unfrequently practiced on this noble animal. A very common 
error exists in the minds of some people that ring-bone is fed by 
a bladder at the posterior part of the pastern, which has about as 
much to do in the production of the disease as the author of this 
work. This error would not amount to much, however, only it 
has led to the infliction of a cruel operation, without the least 
advantage; namely, the cutting out of the bladder. Now, this so- 
called bladder is, in reality, a bursal sac, the use of which is to 
secrete synovia, to be used for the purpose of guarding against 
friction ; therefore, the extraction of it must be disadvantageous to 
the parts. 
It seems that ring-bone is not enough torment for the poor brute 
to suffer, but he must, in addition, submit to a species of cruelty 
unheard of in the annals of human medicine. Such treatiaent ia 
wrong, and every man who loves a horse should set his face against 
it, and use every effort for the purpose of putting a stcp to the 
practice of all barbarity in the treatment of domestic animals. 
Treatment.—The question to decide, when we undertake to treat 
a case of this character is, whether the disease is in tle acute or 
chronic stage. Experience teaches us that nearly all diseases may 
be divided into two classes: First, the acute, or those which come 
on suddenly, attended by pain and fever, or, rather, ‘ebrile symp- 
toms; for there are no primary fevers in the horse. Hquine fevera 
are always called into existence, or accompany a pa‘hological con- 
dition which frequently existed, aad the fever is i1 exact ratio to 
the intensity of the disease. Cure the disease and the fever ceases, 
Acute diseases also tend to termination within 2 short period of 
time, or else run into the chronic stage. Secoadly, the chronia 
stage. Chronic diseases are those of slow progress, and exceed in 
duration the ordinary existence of the acute class. They may 
arise i consequerce of acute die rders, or be developed >riginally 
