OPEN JOINTS 171 



By making a free opening into the joint, we may be 

 able to curette away the joint cartilage and thus hasten 

 the process of ankylosis. Then, too, by increasing the 

 size of the opening into the joint, we have a better oppor- 

 tunity to disinfect thoroughly the joint cavity, overcome 

 the infection, and thus prevent fatal sepsis. Abscesses 

 in the periarticular tissue should be opened wherever 

 they occur and their cavities thoroughly drained and 

 disinfected. 



For the purpose of disinfection we have found long 

 narrow strips of gauze saturated in tincture of iodin 

 to he of great benefit. The iodin also serves as more or 

 less of an irritant, and causes a destruction of the se- 

 creting membranes and joint cartilage which must take 

 place before we may hope for recovery. 



In the huinan being and in the smaller animals there 

 is another operation which may be resorted to — ampu- 

 tation. "When the infected area is great and there is 

 danger of death from septicemia, the removal of the 

 distal portion of the member allows of thorough disin- 

 fection of the joint, as well as the removal of the in- 

 fected area which is producing the sepsis. 



We do not favor the use of slings in disease of the 

 articulations, believing that the animal, if worth treat- 

 ing, is able to get up and down readily if, given a box 

 stall with sufficient room. Certainly a horse, if given 

 a proper amount of dry bedding to prevent decubical 

 gangrene, rests more comfortably in a large stall than 

 in a stiiif pair of slings. Another point which is often 

 ignored is the removal of the shoes from a horse which 

 is spending much of its time in a recumbent position. 

 The bruising of the pectoral region from the front shoes, 

 and the resulting infection, may be sufficient to over- 

 come an animal that is fighting to withstand the attack 

 of septicemia resulting from suppurative arthritis. 



