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 of 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 and 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 
