26 SPRAINS. 



office, the benefit to be derived from a blister appears to chiefly consist. 

 I never employ a blister to sprains below the knee and hock ; because ] 

 find that I get better results by pressure (p. 44), and hand-rubbing (p. 675), 

 and without thickening of the skin, which is a condition that must more 

 or less impede motion, and may give rise to adhesions. The effects of 

 pressure can be stopped, at any moment, by removing the bandage ; but 

 those of a blister cause permanent structural alterations which may or may 

 not be beneficial. In sprains of parts, like the shoulder, stifle, and back, 

 to which we cannot conveniently apply pressure, we should rely chiefly on 

 hand-rubbing (massage). Another harmful result of blistering is that it 

 frequently renders a norse difficult to handle on the blistered part. 



Firing (p. 673) is said, by some authorities, to produce a good effect in 

 old cases of sprains which have resisted other remedies. It affords 

 permanent pressure on the part, by causing contraction. The portion of 

 skin that has been burned by the firing iron becomes replaced by fibrous 

 tissue, the property of which is to contract, as we may see exemplified by 

 the " drawn " appearance of the skin of a person's neck or cheek which has 

 healed after having suffered from a severe burn. Some of the benefit 

 obtained in many instances from firing is undoubtedly due to the absence 

 from severe work which it necessitates. Firing is a most valuable stimulant 

 in hastening the completion of inflammation m bone. 



GENERAL TREATMENT OF SPRAINS.— The affected part 

 should be given complete rest as quickly as possible. If the 

 injury is in one of the legs, and the animal cannot bring the heel 

 to the ground, a high-heeled shoe should be applied, like that 

 shown in Fig. 4. This pattern is easy to make, affords a firm 

 bearing to the foot, and its heels can be lowered from time to 

 time with very little trouble. A high-heeled shoe should only be 

 employed when relief is given by allowing a bearing to the heel 

 while it is raised off the ground. If neither convenient nor suit- 

 able to put on this shoe, a full supply of sawdust or similar 

 material should be substituted for the ordinary straw bedding, 

 the animal will be able to assume an easier position for his sore 

 leg on the former than on the latter. Care should be taken that 

 the sound limb is not hurt by undue weight being thrown on it, 

 owing to the precautions adopted to place the injured leg at rest. 

 As a rule, the use of slings (p. 690) is not advisable in such 

 cases ; their presence is apt to cause sores, interfere with staling 

 and digestion, and irritate the animal. They may be necessary 

 in severe lameness of a hind limb, because, when thus affected, a 

 horse will rarely lie down. 



No time should be lost in applying pressure of a thoroughly 

 uniform nature (p. 44), and in all oases, the good effects of 

 massage (p. 675) should be resorted to. 



When we have a severe sprain in a horse which is " full of corn," 

 it is wfeU to give a dose of physic (preferably, eserine, p. 621), after 

 clearing out the lower part of the bowel with an enema or two. 



Laxative food, such as green grass, lucerne, carrots, bran and 

 linseed mashes, should be given instead of corn. Mashes should 



