198 
WINDGALLS. 
By the term windgalls, horsemen understand those small puffy swellings, 
commonly met with in different positions on the fetlock joint. These little 
swellings, which are due to a distention of the synovial sacs of the fetlocks, 
are not of very serious moment. When the windgall is situated between the 
tendon at the back of the fetlock joint and the sesamoid bones, it is spoken of as. 
thoroughpin of the fetlock. This name is given to it, because, being prevented 
by the tendon from projecting backwards, it makes its appearance on both 
sides as a divided swelling at the back of the joint. The treatment of 
windgalls is not of much importance. The application of a bandage, tightly 
applied, will often prove useful by maintaining firm pressure on the distended 
sacs. Rest also tends to reduce them. Mild blisters, such as liniment of 
iodine, are in most instances only temporarily efficacious. The cold douche, 
followed by the application of bandages moistened with some cooling lotion, 
often proves very useful by astringing the relaxed tissues of the part. The 
treatment, however, which we recommend is the application of a smart: 
blister. 
BOG SPAVIN. 
By the term bog spavin, we understand an elastic, boggy swelling, situated at 
the inner side and front of the hock joint. It is a distended condition of the 
synovial or lining membrane of the true hock joint; and it occupies therefore 
a higher position than that generally taken by an ordinary bone spavin, with 
which it has no relationship except in name. As it increases in size, it 
extends up the leg for several inches. Bog spavin is of two chief varieties, 
which must be carefully distinguished from each other; as, while one kind 
constitutes unsoundness, the other does not, as a rule, impair the usefulness 
of the animal. The former variety is caused by inflammation of the hock 
joint. When this is acute, there is marked lameness, and the animal cannot 
put his leg to the ground. The pain, tenderness, and swelling, which is. 
hard, are great; and constitutional symptoms manifest themselves. When 
the inflammation is of a chronic variety, it may be due to a rheumatic 
affection of the hock joint bones or other causes. When the affection of the 
bones of the hock is of a rheumatic nature, extensive changes occur in the 
cartilages of the joint, and the disease is incurable. The other variety of 
bog-spavin is, just as in the less severe variety of thoroughpin, due to a 
dropsical condition of the joint, and is not generally provocative of pain. In 
this case, the swelling is not tender or hot, and when felt is found to be 
boggy and elastic. The inflammatory variety of bog-spavin is generally due 
to sprain of some of the structures of the hock joint ; whereas the dropsical 
variety is generally due to overworking, while the bones of the animal are 
not full grown. Heredity, as in the case of thoroughpin, we believe, is 
sometimes answerable for the predisposition which some animals have to 
bog-spavin. Cold, wet, and chill are potent factors in the causation of the 
rheumatic variety. 
