494 ALPHABETICAL SUMMARY. 
OPEN SYNOVIAL CAVITIES. 
Causes.—The pride of gentility, which apes what is not, and tries to 
pass off a horse with a ewe neck for an animal with a lofty crest. The 
quadruped, being in pain and constraint, necessarily trips, and cannot 
save itself from falling. Kicking in harness; running away and being 
run into 
Symploms.—Air being admitted creates inflammation; inflammation 
causes coustitutional irritability. Burs are attended with least danger 
when punctured; sheaths of tendons are more dangerous; joints are 
by far the most serious. Judge which is opened by the extent of the 
wound and the quantity of synovia released. 
Treatment.—Exercise gentleness toward the injured animal. Wash 
as was directed for broken knees. Examine if there be any sac or bag 
into which dirt could have entered. If one exists, place a large spatula 
under the knee; then take a knife with a sharp point, but with its edge 
blunted the two posterior thirds of its length; guard the point with a 
lump of beeswax; introduce this into the sac and drive the point 
through the bottom of the bag. An opening will thereby be created, 
through which the pus and dirt will gravitate. If the probe enters the 
knee of the flexed leg, unopposed, three-quarters of an inch, push it no 
farther; be satisfied the cavity is opened. 
OPEN SYNOVIAL JOINTS. 
Treatment.—Proceed in the first instance as for broken knees. Then 
give a drink composed of sulphuric ether and laudanum, of each one 
ounce; water, half a pint; look to the comfort. Should the eye rove, 
the breathing be hard, ears active, and the horse start at sounds, 
hourly repeat the drink before recommended, till these symptoms abate. 
Then place in a stall and allow four drinks and two pots of stout daily. 
Use the arnica lotion as for broken knees, during the first three and a 
half days. At the end of that time turn the horse gently round in the 
stall, and let it stand with its head toward the gangways. Place the 
slings before the horse and leave the animal to contemplate them for 
half an hour. Then, with extreme gentleness, fix them; but do not 
pull the cloth up to the abdomen. Leave a pail of water suspended 
from one pillar, and feed from a high trough, supported upon light legs. 
Let the horse be watched night and day for the remainder of the week. 
When the animal is at ease in the slings, these may he heightened till 
the cloth lightly touches, but not presses, against the belly. With the 
