126 
LAMENESS IN HORSES. 
size, so much larger and more powerful muscles attached to it than 
have the perforans and perforatus tendons in the horse. 
In SEVERE SPRAIN, however, although there is no absolute 
rend asunder of tendon, there exists, from the violence that 
has been used, sad lesion to various tissues. The cellular and 
fibrous sheaths, attachments, and envelopes are, no doubt, much 
stretched beyond their powers, and in places lacerated ; nor have 
we any right to suppose that either tendons or ligaments come off' 
unscathed; but that, on the contrary, fibres of one or both, in 
places, from forcible efforts of extension, occasionally yield and 
give way, and thus add materially to the complication of the 
injury inflicted. After all, however, that can be said by way of 
pathological exposition, much must be left to conjecture. One 
thing is certain ; and that is, that violent inflammation follows so 
severe an accident, succeeding which come swelling and heat, 
pain, tenderness and excessive lameness. The horse literally hops 
upon his flexed limb, not daring to impose a fraction of weight 
upon it, nor suffering it to be extended or even handled ever so 
gingerly. The effusion which has taken place, by the third or 
fourth day after the accident, is so great that the limb is swollen 
from knee to fetlock, and even down to foot, and in some cases 
upward as well ; the tendency of such tumefaction being to run on 
to the permanent agglutination of parts together into one solid 
mass, and by the changes from softness to hardness, and from 
hardness to callus and thickening, and even scirrhus, to render 
such unnatural union permanent and irremediable, causing in this 
manner roundness and hardness of leg, and stiffness, if not actual 
lameness, in action, for the rest of the animal’s days. 
Jn old Horses who have done much Work, such like- 
wise is the case. Their fore legs are “ round,” and feel firm 
and skin-bound ; they having been brought into such condition 
either from experiencing sundry sprains and injuries, or from 
excessive or long-endured work, the inflammatory or increased 
vascular action induced by which, in the course of time, tends to 
the same consequences. These are what are called gummy or 
bummed legs. Nor with such legs is it often that the fetlock 
joints do not partake of this roundness and solidity and skin-tight- 
ness, though the firm adhesion and close sitting of the skin is to 
be viewed often rather as the effect of stimulating treatment than 
of disease. All which remote and final consequences of inflam- 
mation in such parts, when once established, are entirely without 
the pale of ordinary remedy; requiring, if remediable at all, an- 
other and totally different class of therapeutic measures. There- 
fore will 
The Treatment of Sprain consists of simple means, or com- 
