24 SPRAINS. 



is exercised, short of injuring it, the more blood is brought to it, 

 and consequently, the stronger it becomes. If exercise be cur- 

 tailed, any violent or unaccustomed exertioD will be liable to have 

 an injurious effect. 



Unprincipled persons wanting to sell a horse with a thickened 

 tendon or ligament, may try to make out that the leg is as sound 

 as when the animal was foaled, the plea being that the part has 

 become " callous," an expression the buyer should understand to 

 mean " incurably weak." This is, as a rule, a stage long past 

 that in which repair is possible. 



PRINCIPLES OF TREATMENT.— In the case of sprain, were there but 

 little extravasated blood and exuded plasma — ^the continued presence of 

 whicli fluids, as we have seen, renders the part weak and stiff by inter- 

 fering with the circulation and by giving rise to adhesions — the broken 

 fibres would unite as completely, other thmgs being equal, as the ends of 

 a bone, in the case of a simple fracture. Hence, our first efforts should be 

 directed to check the accumulation, in the part, of these fluids, and to 

 hasten their removal from it. The two most important factors in the 

 treatment of sprain, are massage and well-regulated pressure (page 44). 

 Above all things, the pressure should be uniformly distributed, because 

 unequally distributed pressure is almost certain to caiu^e irritation, if not 

 inflammation, of the part, in either of which cases, the sprain will be 

 aggravated. By the usual method of employing pressure say, on a fetlock 

 by means of an ordinary bandage, we succeed in applying it only on bony 

 prominences, and not on the soft parts which specially require it. When 

 bandaging, in the same way, a leg between the knee or hock and fetlock, 

 the effect obtained is merely to push the suspensory ligament against the 

 cannon bone, without also (as we ought to do) putting pressure on each side 

 of it. By employing, on the contrary, the method of evenly distributed 

 _pressure described on page 44, these faults are obviated. 



As subjecting the already weakened part to strain, would be liable to give 

 rise to fresh injury, rest from all severe exercise is a necessity. As soon, 

 however, as the heat and tenderness have subsided, and lameness at a walk 

 has disappeared, we may begin to give our patient, two or three times a 

 day, a little very gentle exercise, for long continued inaction after sprain 

 is certain to be followed by the formation of adhesions. 



Massage or hand-nMing (p. 675) should be used after a sprain, as soon 

 as it can be employed without inflicting pain. Its benefits appear to be due 

 chiefly to pressure ; to the fact of its stimulating the action of the blood- 

 vessels which are near the surface of the body ; and to its mechanical effect 

 in quickenmg the circulation of the lymphatics. The marked increase of 

 temperature from hand-rubbing, is a convincing proof of its stimulating 

 power on the blood vessels. Hand-rubbing should always be towards thi 

 heart- for instance a horses legs should never be rubbed downwards but 

 upwards, see page 676. 



Passive exercise, which, in the case of a limb, may be obtained by gentlv 

 bending and straightening the lomts, with the foot off the ground aid the 

 animal standing still, should be carried out, after the first day or two a 

 couple of times a day, m order to prevent the formation of adhesions ' 



Purgatives act beneficially by diminishing the congestion of the blond 

 vessels, in that they remove from them a large quantity of watery fluid 



Dnnking water should be allowed in a full supply, in order that tl,o 

 blood may be kept in a_ sufficiently fluid state for the due performance of 

 Its functions. There is no danger of the horse drinking too much • for »tvJ 

 surplus will be quickly excreted by the kidneys, lungs, skin, &c. ' 



