94 WOUNDS AND BRUISES. 



lost in again putting on the bandage, the evenly distributed 

 pressure of which greatly promotes the process of healing, by keep- 

 ing down the swelling that would otherwise ensue, and would, more 

 or less interfere with the circulation of the part. If putrefaction 

 sets up in the joint, or the pressure of the bandage is unequally 

 distributed, the part will probably become hot and swollen, in which 

 case the bandage should be at once removed, and the wound 

 rendered healthy in the manner already described. The bandage 

 should not be re-applied, until the swelling has subsided. A slight 

 swelling of the part would not warrant the removal of the bandage. 



Maintaining a c6nstant flow of cold water on the wound generally 

 gives excellent results by closing the wound in a healthy manner 

 without any other treatment, beyond keeping the part at rest. As 

 soon as the discharge of synovia has ceased, the cold water treat- 

 ment can be stopped and tannoform or iodoform applied. 



A rough and ready way of treating an open joint, which has often 

 a good effect, is to put a thick covering of quicklime over it. 



Veterinary surgeons, as a rule, obtain excellent results in cases 

 of opeji joints, by applying a smart biniodide of mercury ointment 

 blister (1 to 8 of lard), after having rendered the part aseptic 

 (p. 70) and dusting the orifice over with iodoform, boracic acid, 

 or unslaked lime. The blister, besides keeping the part at rest, 

 helps to close the orifice, and probably has an antiseptic action on 

 the wound. 



Broken Knees 



is the term applied to any wound inflicted on a horse's knee or 

 knees by falling, or by hitting himself. 



In examining a horse in doubtful cases to see if he has been 

 ''.down," closely view the knee in profile, so as to detect any 

 roughness of the hair or swelling on the front of the joint, which 

 shows that the horse has broken his knees on some former occa- 

 sion ; for unless the edges of a wound unite with a degree of 

 accuracy not to be expected after this accident, the hair will not 

 lie smooth and level, and a severe blow will cause the part to be 

 more or less '' capped." The skin should be examined for the 

 scars of former wounds. 



ITie knee of the horse (see Fig. 8. p. 35), which corresponds to the human 

 wrist, is composed of two rows of bones, three in each row. These bones 

 form three distinct joints, namely, one between the radius (bone of the fore 

 arm) and the upper row ; a second between the upper and lower row, which 

 forms a third joint with the heads of the cannon and splint bones. There 

 is most motion in the upper joint, and least in the lower one ; hence in a 

 case of broken knees, the injury usually is inflicted on the upper joint, 

 seldom on the middle, and very rarely on the lower joint. Besides the six 

 bones I have mentioned, there is a seventh one, the trapezium, placed at 



