TREATMEFT OF OSS1FIC DISEASES OF THE JOINTS, ETC. 
53 
regular order congestion and inflammation, followed by exuda¬ 
tion into the articulation, with attendant maceration and de¬ 
struction of the articular cartilages. If from any cause this 
exudate is not absorbed, a fibrous organization takes place, pre¬ 
venting the union of the necessary reparative bone cells, and 
delaying anchylosis ; but should this exudate be rapidly ab¬ 
sorbed, it will allow the bone cells to develop faster and accu¬ 
mulate in a much smaller space, and thus reduce the size of the 
exostosis that is formed, as well as making it a compact mass, 
instead of the irregular porous bone tumor, with its numerous 
openings and channels, in which this exudate has organized and 
become a part of that we usually find in these cases. 
Bone spavin, ringbone, and splint, have been treated by me 
since March, 1886, by the hypodermic injection of tincture of 
iodine. My method has been as follows : I confine the animal 
as required ; clip away the hair and wash the part with hot 
water; use an ordinary syringe with a large needle, inserting 
the needle into the tumor, usually at its upper part, and loosen¬ 
ing up the structures with its point, withdrawing the needle 
slightly and injecting about one drachm of the tincture, making 
several insertions of the needle in different parts of the enlarge¬ 
ment and injecting about a drachm at each insertion, taking care 
not to enter large blood-vessels. The patient is kept in the 
stable for a week or ten days, and then turned out from six 
weeks to three months. A second operation is very rarely neces¬ 
sary; and unless the swelling becomes excessive immediately 
after the operation, no after treatment of any sort is required. 
No bad results of any kind have ever followed this method of 
treating this class of diseases at my hands. Complete anchy¬ 
losis and termination of the lameness, in both spavin and ring¬ 
bone, have always been obtained. There has never been the 
slightest suppuration. The enlargement does not increase 
materially in size, but appears to decrease, when repair is in 
progress, by the filling in below the enlargement with new tis¬ 
sue. I can cite individual cases, but it is unnecessary, as you 
have every opportunity to test its efficacy. 
