PURULENT INFLAMMATION OF THE JOINTS. 273 



thelia. The patients are lame when the joint is moved, especially 

 at the beginning and toward the end of any movement of the joint. 

 "Very frequently small dogs will only walk on three feet, carrying 

 the inflamed member. 



Etiology. The following may cause synovitis : Crushing or 

 concussion of the joint, blows, sprains (such as falling from a 

 height). In cases of injuries of the joints we may expect only a 

 simple synovitis when the injuring object is clean and the wound 

 is cleansed immediately after the injury (by blood-clots or an anti- 

 septic dressing). J\ccording to the observations of the author, 

 acute synovitis occurs most frequently in the carpal joint, joints 

 of the toes, in the knees, and hip-joints. 



Its course is, as a rale, rapid. If the patient receives proper 

 treatment, in a short time we see an improvement (especially if the 

 animal gets complete rest). In other cases the disease takes a 

 chronic form — that is, it may form one of the following condi- 

 tions: 



Chronic Serous Inflammation of the Joints. 

 (Synovitis Chronica Serosa.) 



In this the joint is slightly swollen and painful, also very fever- 

 ish. In some cases we may see a fluctuating swelling as a result 

 of enlargement of the capsule by serous secretion. If the disease 

 is still more acute, we may have a thickening of the fibrous cap- 

 sules, and very frequently quite an enlargement starting from the 

 edge of the joint. 



This chronic synovitis may appear in the onset of the disease, 

 but, as a rule, it results as a consequence of the acute form. The 

 author has seen these cases in the carpus and knee-joint. The 

 lameness is not especially marked, but any active movements 

 increase it very much. 



Purulent Inflammation of the Joints; Suppuration 



of the Joints. 



[Pyarthrosis.) 



While the two forms which have before been described are rarely 

 accompanied by fever, it is quite different in suppuration of the 

 joint. In this there is great fever from the beginning, which is 



18 



