306 VETERINARY SURGICAL THERAPEUTICS. 
ing weight when the animal is at rest by the use of strong splints or by the 
apparatus of Relier. In that region, no suture will resist the weight of 
the body. In the majority of cases, a blistering friction on both faces of 
the hock will be proper; the walking, difficult at first, will regulate itself 
later ; after six weeks or two months, light work will be possible. 
Guittard and Furlanetto have observed in cattle the displacement of the 
tendon of the nfra-spinatus. To take place, such accident requires the 
rupture of the synovia and of the fibrous bands which hold it over the 
torochiter. In the patients treated by Guittard, the moving of the cord 
was little shown, the flexion taking place in two steps; the walking was 
difficult and the movements of the leg slow and hesitating. In the obser- 
vation of Furlanetto, the accident had occurred on both legs after a violent 
effort. At rest, no symptom indicated the injury, but when the animal 
raised the leg, the tendon could be seen slipping backwards from the 
trochiterian convexity; this displacement could also be. produced with 
pressure by the hand. Absolute rest and repeated blistering frictions 
were followed by recovery in a month. 
VI. 
SPRAINS OF TENDONS.—NERF-FERURE.—TENOSITIS. 
Produced by powerful muscular contractions, by efforts which stretch the 
tendinous cords and rupture more or less a great number of their constitu- 
ting fibres, this affection, observed in all animals used as motors, is very 
common in horses. Though a great number of tendons may be “ forced,” 
the denomination of sprain (effort) of tendons is applied, in ordinary lan- 
guage, to lesions of this kind which involve the tendons of the flexors of 
the phalanges, their reénforcing bands and the suspensory ligament. 
The general belief, that old hippiatres did not know the true effort of 
tendons, is erroneous. Lafosse, in his Dictionary, recognizes: (1) the 
tendinous alterations produced by bruises (the nerf-férure) ; (2) the 
extension of the tendon, the “ distension of its fibres” occurring outside of 
all traumatism, during the actions of locomotion. But there was an 
error made in relation to the frequency of the tendinous lesions resulting 
from traumatic causes; in most cases, indeed, the subcutaneous inflam- 
mations of the tendons of the flexors of the foot have for cause an effort, 
and not a bruise of the tendons. 
To the expression of “ nerf-férure,” used then to designate the lesions 
which were believed to be of traumatic nature, a wider denomination has 
been given, which has been confirmed by use. Indeed to-day both ex- 
pressions are indifferently employed. 
