632 PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 



and all the flat bones are filled within with a gelatinous 

 substance. The articular surfaces, especially of the limbs, 

 exhibit loss of substance, and the cartilage, which is dark 

 in color, is studded with erosions similar to those of dry- 

 arthritis. The disappearance of the cartilage during life 

 results from the disappearance of the subjacent epiphysial 

 osseous tissue. 



Evidence has been found of the disappearance of the 

 intervertebral discs and ankylosis of the vertebra with rare- 

 faction of the bones. 



The osseous apophyses are softened and traction upon 

 the ligaments easily detaches them, with small particles of 

 bone. 



Analysis of the Bones. — The analyses of the osseous 

 tissues have no absolute value. In rachitis and senile osteo- 

 porosis the same changes in the proportions of mineral and 

 organic matter may be found. In 1887, Marcone analyzed 

 the tibia and the maxilla of a horse that was attacked with 

 osteoporosis and had fractured the two metacarpal bones 

 of the fore-legs; ipo parts of fresh bone contained: 



Water 14 . 80 



Fatty matter ' 28.263 



Id 3.048 



Phosphate of lime 13.636 



Carbonate of lime 10. 197 



Ossein 30. 056 



The proportion of mineral matter to organic substances 

 was 61.367 to 25.833. The analysis shows that there is a 

 larger quantity of organic matter (more than 50%) but that 

 the relative proportions of the mineral salts are preserved. 

 Fritz and Abey, on the contrary, found a normal relation, 

 and Germain a relation too exaggerated to be correct. The 

 relation between the organic and inorganic matter was 

 40.04 to 5.89. The difiference observed varied according to 



