LAMENESS IN HORSES. 
483 
flammation, or from over-stretched periosteum, or from proximity 
of the exostosis to, and consequent interference with, any joint or 
sinew ; all which considerations may, in kind or degree, modify 
his plan of treatment. 
For the relief of periosteal or ligamentary inflammation, engen- 
dering callus, or for recent osseous effusion, nothing surpasses the 
local abstraction of blood, succeeded by a blister upon the part. Any 
vein of the limb — the principal one is generally to be preferred, 
either the femoral or the plat vein — may be opened, and at the 
same time a brisk cathartic may be given ; and as soon as that 
has worked off, a blister may be applied to the ringboned pastern ; 
the part being first well heated, and particularly in cold weather, 
by previous soaking in hot water, or by a spongio-piline poultice. 
When, however, the case, instead of being a recent is a chronic 
one, one consisting in hard and solid exostosis, and from which 
most, if not all, superficial at least, inflammatory action seems to 
have disappeared, it would be folly to expect that any remedies of 
an antiphlogistic character could do any good. The lameness here 
may arise from some deep-seated morbid action, probably in the 
vicinity of the pastern joint ; and in such a case nothing is likely 
to be of so much service as potent counter-irritants in the shape 
of strong blistering, and sometimes in that of firing. Irritating 
applications to the skin, such as ol. thymi, antimony ointment, &c., 
are found little beneficial ; and such as have a tendency to sti- 
mulate the absorbents into action, the iodine and mercurial oint- 
ments, are hardly applicable in a case like this. They may, when 
the horse is in a state to continue his work, be used to promote 
absorption of any remaining tumour ; they will exert, however, but 
trifling power in the cure of lameness. Solleysell made the remark, 
that on colts and young horses ringbones “ insensibly wear off of 
themselves* and he might have added, that not only ringbones, 
but spavins and splints, and other exostoses, as horses advance in 
years, likewise “ wear off.” Independently, however, of the in- 
fluence of age on such like enlargements, it is, we would repeat, 
truly astonishing what good effect work, or forced use of the dis- 
eased joints, has on them ; in proof whereof we might instance the 
many ringboned and spavined horses every-day’s observation 
brings to our notice working in the streets of London and other 
populous towns ; and it is incredible what labour such stiff-jointed 
or partially stiff-jointed horses are able to perform so long as the 
cavities of their joints remain uninvaded by disease. 
Periosteotomy. — Professor Sewell, whose highly commend- 
Op. cit. vol. ii, p. 269. 
