Side-bones and Softening of Bones 225 
sore oxidizes the dead tissue, destroys the pus and 
cleans up the bone nicely, without injuring or irritat- 
ing the living tissues. When injected, this medicine 
should cause the sore to foam like soda-water if pus 
is present. 
“SIDE- BONES ” 
On either side of the foot of the horse, at the top 
of the hoof and close to the heel, can be felt a piece 
of cartilage. These are the “lateral cartilages.” These 
allow the fatty frog and soft tissues of the heel to 
expand as the horse brings his weight on his foot. 
In heavy draft horses especially, there is a tendency 
for these cartilages to turn to bone, causing a condition 
known as “side-bones.” These side-bones can be felt 
as a hard piece of bone in the place of the cartilages, 
and can not be bent with the fingers. In heavy draft 
horses or those not used for driving on the road, side- 
bones are of little importance, as they seldom interfere 
with the animal in any way. In horses intended for driv- 
ing, side-bones may cause lameness, and such animals 
are considered unsound. The only treatment for this 
condition is to have the side-bones removed by a surgi- 
cal operation. 
SOFTENING OF BONES 
In animals, especially when young, there frequently 
oceurs a softening of the bone, which allows them to 
bend and become deformed. This deformity may also 
occur in young animals when the body is unusually 
heavy, and they attempt to walk before the legs are 
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