328 SYNOVIAL ENLARGEMENTS. 



cases, when small and when unattended with lameness or local heat, 

 they are not an unsoundness. 



See " General Treatment," p. 321. 



Excellent results have been obtained in the treatment of thorough- 

 pin by rubbing oleate of mercury of a ten per cent, strength on 

 the enlargement with a stiff brush once a day for three days, and, 

 if necessary, repeating the application after an interval of a week. 



Windgall of the Knee. 



I venture to apply this arbitrary term to a synovial enlargement 

 which sometimes appears on the outer side, and on the upper part 

 of the knee, and consists of dropsy of the bursa of the tendon of the 

 flexor pedis perforans, the front one of the two back tendons (Fig. 6, 

 p. 31). In some cases, it attains the size of a man's fist. I have 

 never seen it among saddle-horses ; but have occasionally met with 

 it among cart-horses, the usefulness of which it did not seem to 

 injuriously affect to any marked extent. 



See " General Treatment," p. 321. 



Capped Knee. 



This is a dropsical condition of one or both of the synovial bursic- 

 of the tendon (extensor metacarpi niagnus) which passes over the 

 front of the knee. It is usually caused by blows. It may also 

 occur, especially when hunting or steeplechasing, from a thorn 

 (p. 99) puncturing the tendon which plays over the bag containing 

 the joint oil in front of the knee. When this accident happens, 

 inflammation is set up in the tendon, with the result of an effusion 

 of serum into the bursas. 



Capped knee is of very little consequence when it is simply a 

 distended condition of the synovial bursas ; but if the tendon be 

 also affected, it is a serious complaint, and will be accompanied 

 with more or less lameness. 



TREATMENT. — If the case does not yield to the effects of rest, 

 massage (p. 675), and pressure (p. 44), rub liniment of iodine into 

 the part with a certain amount of friction, two or three times a 

 day. If the swelling still continues, stimulate it with biniodide of 

 mercury (1 to 8 of lard). The synovia in the distended bursa 

 may, then, become absorbed on undergoing a further change. If, 

 after a blister or two, the swelling still remains soft,. draw off the 

 fluid at its lowest point by means of an aspirator, under antiseptic 

 precautions (p. 70) and bandage. Or, as is usually done, make a 

 small horizontal incision a,t the lowest point of the sac, which 



