32 THE CANADIAN HOESE 



cut through, and the joint laid open, as is often seen in the 

 knee. In the latter, we have merely a small opening (it 

 may be only suJBBcient to admit the probe) into the joint, 

 from which trickles thesynovia or joint-oil. 



All cases are alike dangerous, and are characterised by 

 the same general symptoms, and are liable to be attended by 

 the same consequences. They differ only in degree, accord- 

 ing to the importance and extent of the cavity exposed. 



We shall therefore, to economise space, take a general 

 view of the subject, leaving to the practitioner to apply the 

 principles laid down to the individual cases as they may 

 occur ; and remarking that none but a qualified practitioner 

 should undertake the management of so important a case. 



Causes. — The causes of open joint are most invariably 

 external injury — in the knee, from falling. A horse 

 stumbles, " blunders forward-," and falls upon his knees, and 

 rises with " broken knees." The hair may simply be rubbed 

 off, or the skia may be cut through ; but in many cases the 

 skin, ligaments, and tendons are lacerated, and the joint laid 

 bare. In the hock, it generally arises from kicks from other 

 horses, and are more frequently punctured wounds. We 

 have not unfrequently been called to cases where the farrier 

 or blacksmith had punctured a bog-spavin with his jack- 

 knife. These cases are generally very troublesome. 



Symptoms. — In giving an opinion in these cases, we 

 must bear in mind that the joint is not always open, 

 although we have a discharge of synovia from the wound ; 

 we may have it from the theca or sheath of some tendon, 

 and it requires close examination in some cases to say which 

 it comes from. What we imply by the term open joint, is 

 where the skin, ligaments, tendons, &c., have been cut 

 through, and the articulation laid open. 



In the first place; the animal is very lame. On examin- 



