lameness: its causes and treatment. 367 



Shoulder lameness will, of course, manifest itself by signs and ap- 

 pearances more or less distinct and pronounced, according to the na- 

 ture of the degrees and the extent qf the originating cause. We sum- 

 marize some of these signs and appearances: 



The lameness is not intermittent, but continued, the disturbance of 

 motion gaging the severity of the lesion au'd its extent. It is more 

 marked when the bones are diseased than when the muscles alone are 

 affected. When in motion the two upper bony levers — ^the shoulder 

 blade and the bone of the upper arm — are reduced to nearly complete 

 immobility and the walking is performed by the complete displace- 

 ment of the entire mass, which is dragged forward without either 

 flexion of extension. The action of the joint below, as a natural con- 

 sequence, is limited in its flexion. In many instances there is a cer- 

 tain degree of swelling at the point of injury — at the joint, or, more 

 commonly, in front of it, or on the surface of the spinatus muscle. 

 Again, instead of swelling there will be muscular atrophy, though, 

 while this condition of loss of muscular power may interfere with 

 perfect locomotion, it is not in itself usually a cause of shoulder lame- 

 ness. " Sweenied " shoulders are more often due to disease below the 

 fetlock than to affections above the elbow. 



During rest the animal often carries his leg forward, somewhat 

 analogous to the " pointing" position of navicular disease, though in 

 some cases the painful member drops at the elbow in a semiflexed 

 position. The backing is sometimes typical, the animal when per- 

 forming it, instead of flexing his shoulder, dragging the whole leg 

 without motion in the upper segment of the extremity. 



The peculiar manner in which the leg is brought forward in the air 

 for another step in the act of walking or trotting is in some instances 

 characteristic of injuries of the shoulder. The lameness also mani- 

 fests itself in bringing the leg forward with a circumflex swinging 

 motion and a shortening in the extension of the step. The foot is 

 carried close to the ground and stumbling is frequent, especially on 

 an uneven road. 



With the utmost scrutiny and care the vagueness and uncertainty 

 of the symptoms will contribute to perplex and discredit the diagnosis 

 and embarrass the surgeon, and sometimes the expedient is tried of 

 aggravating the symptoms by way of intensifying their significance, 

 and thus rendering them more intelligible. This has been sought by 

 requiring the patient to travel on hard or very soft ground and 

 compelling him to turn on the sound leg as a pivot, with other 

 motions calculated to betray the locality of the pain. 



Treatment. — ^It is our conviction that lameness of the shoulder will 

 in many cases disappear with no other prescription than that of rest. 

 Provided the lesions occasioning it are not too severe, time is all that 

 is required. But the negation of letting alone is seldom accepted as 



