38 THE CANADIAN HOESE 



uneven ground, and a common cause is, allowing the feet to 

 grow too long. 



Symptoms. — In severe cases the part is swollen, hot, and 

 tender, the limb is thrown into a position that relaxes the 

 spraiaed part. If extensive, we have symptomatic fever, and 

 he refuses his food, has the mouth hot, pulse accelerated, &c., 

 which passes off when the more acute symptoms subside. 

 Lameness, of course, is continuous, thus differing from 

 disease of a joint, in which he is always lamest at starting, 

 getting less lame as he gets warmed up. 



Treatment. — We have three indications .presented — first, 

 to allay the inflammatory process ; secondly, to promote ab- ' 

 sorption of the decayed fibres ; and thirdly, to hasten the 

 reproduction of new ones. Most authors recommend either 

 local or general depletion, by bleeding from one of the large 

 veins near the seat of the injury, or from the jugular vein 

 of the neck. This, however, we think is now-a-days very 

 wisely dispensed with, as in our opinion it is altogether un- 

 necessary. 



The bowels must be freely opened, and kept open by 

 laxative and easily- digested food, such as bran-mash, linseed- 

 tea, roots, &c. The continued application of heat or cold 

 to the part aids greatly in checking the inflammatory action. 

 Gentle and equable pressure, by means of a judiciously- 

 applied bandage, is very beneficial in sprains of the leg. 



Eest must be given from the first, and the patient must be 

 turned into a loose-box. Having by these means succeeded 

 in subduing the inflammation, one or two applications of 

 some absorbing blister will generally remove any enlarge- 

 ment that may remain. Shoidd the thickening and lame- 

 ness prove obstinate, the firing-iron may be resorted to, 

 which, as remarked by Blaine, will " both form a permanent 

 bandage and promote absorption." 



