HYGROMAS—BURSITIS, 259 
Heil says he has cured some capped hocks by rupture obtained as 
follows: While the sound hind leg is flexed and held up by an assistant, 
a ligature sufficiently tight to be inconvenient to the horse is put on the 
diseased leg above the hock ; the leg that was raised is let go; the animal 
makes violent efforts to free itself from the ligature ; the hygroma bursts ; 
its contents spread into the surrounding connective tissue and are absorbed. 
The trouble will not return. 
The same treatment cannot be applied toall capped hocks. In general, 
if the lesion is recent, douches, cold baths, astringents, massage and tan- 
nic liniment are to be prescribed. If the tumor is older, but of moderate 
size, it should still be treated with liniment or light blisters ; if it is larger, 
and has still preserved the character of a cyst, actual cauterization or an 
iodine injection may be selected. With indurated capped hocks of large 
size, needle firing and also tannic liniment should be used. If the growth 
becomes phlegmonous, it should be opened and the cavity washed out with 
antiseptics. 
V. Hygroma of the Fetlock. 
Most authors describe under the name of hygroma of the fetlock the 
distension of the synovial sheath that assists the sliding of the anterior ex- 
tensor of the phalanges upon the anterior face of that region. Thus 
formed, the tumor is ordinarily soft, fluctuating, painless, and well bilobed 
when it is large. We will study it in the chapter on Zendinous Synovial 
Dropsies. The true hygroma of the fetlock, like that of the knee, is sub- 
cutaneous, developed between the skin and tendon. Diffused, spread, 
and sometimes cedematous at the start, it becomes circumscribed and in- 
durated with time, but rarely becomes very large. Its treatment differs 
little from that of benign forms of hygromas of the knee. Recent tumors 
generally yield to pressure, massage or light absorbents. Old hygromas 
demand puncture with irritating injections, cauterization or incision. 
VI. Hygroma of the Canon. 
This is always localized on the internal face of that region, is due to 
blows from the inner side of the shoe or corresponding quarter of the foot 
of animals with irregular gaits, and sometimes it accidentally comes to 
horses with sound standing and normal action. 
Its characters differ. Sometimes it is chronic, and appears under the 
aspect of a soft, elastic tumor, well-defined and without manifest inflam- 
matory phenomena: such a one would be treated with puncture and 
iodine injections or with deep penetrating point firing. Acute and phleg- 
monous, it forms a warm, painful tumor, extending more or less on the 
canon ; with its surroundings indurated and its center fluctuating, the only 
