lameness: its causes and treatment. 359 



With this the danger becomes very great, for soon suppuration will be 

 established, then the external coat of the articulation proper becomes 

 ulcerated, if it is not already in that state, and we find ourselves in 

 the presence of an open joint with suppurative synovitis — ^that is, with 

 the worst among the conditions of diseased processes, because of the 

 liability of the suppuration to become infiltrated into every part of the 

 joint, macerating the ligaments and irritating the cartilages, soon to 

 be succeeded by their ulceration, with the destruction of the articular 

 surface — or the lesion of ulcerative arthritis, one of the gravest among 

 all the disorders known to the animal economy. 



Ulcerative arthritis and suppurative synovitis may be developed 

 otherwise than in connection with open joints; the simplest and ap- 

 parently most harmless punctures may prove to be sufficient cause. 

 For example, a, horse may be kicked, perhaps, on the inside of the 

 hock ; there is a mark and a few drops of blood to indicate the spot ; 

 he is put to work apparently free from pain or lameness and per- 

 forms his task with his usual ease and facility. On the following 

 morning, however, the hock is found to be a little swollen and there 

 is some stiffness. A little later on he betrays a degree of uneasiness in 

 the leg, and shrinks from resting his weight upon it, moving it up 

 and down for relief. The swelling has increased and is increasing; 

 the pain is severe; and finally, at the spot where the kick inpinged, 

 there is an oozing of an oily liquid mixed with whitish drops of sup- 

 puration. The mischief is done; a simple, harmless, punctured 

 wound has expanded into a case of ulcerative arthritis and suppura- ' 

 tive synovitis. 



Prognosis. — From ever so brief and succinct description of this 

 traumatism of the articulations, the serious and important character 

 of these lesions, irrespective of which particular joint is affected, 

 will be readily understood. Yet there will be modifications in the 

 prognosis in different cases, in accordance with the peculiarities of 

 structure in the joint specially involved, as, for example, it is ob- 

 vious that a better result may be expected from treatment when but 

 a single joint, with only its plain articular surfaces, is the place of 

 injury, than in one which is composed of several bones, united in a 

 complex formation, as in the knee or hock. As severe a lesion as 

 suppurative synovitis always is, "and as frequently fatal as it proves 

 to be, still cases arise in which, the inflammation assuming a modified 

 character and at length subsiding, the lesion terminates favorably 

 and leaves the animal with a comparatively sound and useful joint. 

 There are cases, however, which terminate in no more favorable a 

 result than the union of the bones and occlusion of the joint, to form 

 an anchylosis, which is scarcely a condition to justify a high degree 

 of satisfaction, as it insures a permanent lameness with very little 

 capacity for usefulness. 



