LAMENESS: ITS CAUSES AND TREATMENT. 315 
The mode of its manifestation varies according to the state of de- 
velopment of the diseased growth as affected by the circumstances 
of its location and dimensions. It is commonly of the kind-which, 
in consequence of its intermittent character, is termed lameness when 
cool, having the peculiarity of exhibiting itself when the animal 
starts from the stable and of diminishing, if not entirely disappear- 
ing after some distance of travel, to return to its original degree, if 
not indeed a severer one, when he has again cooled off in his stable. 
The size of the ringbone does not indicate the degree to which it 
cripples the patient, but the position may, especially when it inter- 
feres with the free movement of the tendons which pass behind and 
in front of the foot. While a large ringbone will often interfere 
but little with the motion of the limb, a smaller growth, if situated 
under the tendon, may become the cause of considerable and con- 
tinued pain. 
A ringbone is doubtless a worse evil than a splint. Its growth, its 
location, its tendency to increased development, its exposure to the 
influence of causes of renewed danger, all tend to impart an unfavor- 
able cast to the prognosis of a case and to emphasize the impor- 
tance and the value of an early discovery of its presence and possible 
growth. Even when the discovery has been made, it is often the 
case that the truth has come to light too late for effectual treatment. 
Months may have elapsed after the first manifestation of the lame- 
ness before a discovery has been made of the lesion from which it 
has originated, and there is no recall for the lapsed time. And by 
the uncompromising seriousness of the discouraging prognosis must 
the energy and severity of the treatment and the promptness of its 
administration be measured. The periostitis has been overlooked; 
any chance that might have existed for preventing its advance to the 
chronic stage has been lost; the osseous formation ‘is established ; the 
ringbone is a fixed fact, and the indications are urgent and pressing. 
Treatment.—The preventive treatment consists in keeping colts 
well nourished and in trimming the hoof and shoeing to balance the 
foot properly and thus prevent an abnormal strain on the ligaments. 
Even after the ringbone has developed, a cure may sometimes be oc- 
casioned by proper shoeing directed toward straightening the axis of 
the foot as viewed from the side by making the wall of the hoof from 
the coronet to the toe continuous with the line formed by the front 
of the pastern. So long as inflammation of the periosteum and liga- 
ments remains, a sharp blister of biniodid of mercury and canthari- 
des may do good if the animal is allowed to rest for four or five 
weeks. If this fails, some success may be accomplished by point 
firing in two or three lines over the ringbone. It is necessary to touch 
the hot iron well into the bone, as superficial firing does little good. 
When all these measures have failed to remove the lameness, or when 
