338 The Farmer's Veterinary Adviser. 



fixing the knee, and to keep the patient in slings nntO 

 imion has taken place. 



SPEAINS OP THE BACK TENDONS. 



These are the two cords which form the posterior line 

 of the limb between the knee and the fetlock. About 

 midway down the shank the front one is joined by a strong 

 cord coming from the upper end of the cannon-bone and 

 the lower row of small knee bones. This last is by far 

 the most frequent seat of sprain, so that the swelling and 

 tenderness are observed between the upper half of the 

 cannon-bone and the round cord which forms the posterior 

 outline of the limb. In other cases the tendons have 

 participated in the sprain, and they too are thickened and 

 tender from the middle of the shank (the point of junction 

 with the ligament) down to the fetlock. In a third class 

 the sprain is confined to an inch or two above the fetlock. 

 In these the swelling is to the two sides if the anterior of 

 the two tendons is injured and backward if the posterior 

 is sprained. The symptoms are a stumbhng gait, with 

 a tendency to stub the toe into the ground and to bend 

 over at the knee and fetlock ; an inclination to stand with 

 the knee and fetlock shghtly bent, the pastern upright or 

 the heel a Httle raised ; then passing the hand along the 

 line of the tendons and in front of them in the upper half 

 of the bone, the thumb on one side and the fingers on the 

 other, any shght thickening is easily recognized, and if 

 . heat exists and pain on pinching, your suspicions are con- 

 firmed. In old bad cases the stay ligament and lower 

 half of the tendons are greatly thickened throughout and 

 the knee kept constantly bent, sometimes to the extent of 

 causing the patient to walk on the front of the hoof. In 

 other cases the cords are knotted, hard and wanting in 

 suppleness, showing calcification of their substance. 



Treatment. In the earlj' stages of severe cases, rest, 

 shorten the toe, apply a high-heeled shoe, and apply hot 

 fomentation continuously, or cold astringent lotions, 



