The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-11 00:00:00

exists, therefore, only sparingly in their bones.
The elasticity in the bones of youths, owing to
the superabundance of animal matter therein con-
tained, enables them with comparative ease to
place their feet at the back of their head, and to
perform other elastic movements, whilst the old
man is with difficulty able to lift his foot a yard
from the ground. Again, it is common for veteri-
narians, when about to operate upon an old animal,
to ask the following questions :—" Do you think I
could operate on this animal without throwing him ?"
The reason for this inquiry is that every veterinarian
knows well how liable to fracture the bones of an
old horse are when compared with those of a young
one ; it is evident, therefore, that from foetal life to
old age the animal skeleton gradually develops from
cartilage into bone, becoming, as age advances,
richer in earthly matter, and therefore more brittle.
The stages may be thus enumerated :-1. In foetal
life the skeleton is cartilaginous. 2. In youth it
becomes partially ossified. 3. As age advances it
grows entirely into bone ; and 4, in old age the
bones become fragile.

Such being the case, does it not seem likely that
the conversion of fibro cartilage existing between
cannon and metacarpal bones into bone, is a change
in strict accordance with the laws of nature. That
such does take place, even if the animal is never
subjected to work, is a known fact. When the
question naturally occurs, how is it then that splints
are thrown out ? I answer—some animals have an
hereditary predisposition to the formation of (ex-
astoses) bony tumours, which sometimes appear be-
fore the animals affected with them have been com-
pelled to perform labour of any kind, but generally
they are produced by the subject of them having
been put to work too early, say at four years old,
when nature, in order to accommodate herself to
circumstances, attempts to hurry on the works of
nature, and by this means to render the body ca-
pable of performing severe physical exertion ; but
nature will not thus be hastened onward in her
operations with impunity, for if this be attempted,
it is at the expense of the animal tissues, inflamma-
tion in the bodily structure is excited, and in the
case under notice in those of the leg, which perhaps
for a time remains confined to the fibro cartilage,
which ultimately causes a too excessive develop-
ment of bone—or, in other words, a bony tumour
results, or, in stable phraseology, a splint is thrown
out. A splint is usually formed on the inside of
the leg, and nearer the knee than the fetlock.
This is accounted for because the greater amount
of weight is thrown on the inside of the foot
than on the outside. Bony tumours occur oc-
casionally on the parts of the cannon, arising
from blows or other external injuries, and are also
called splints. A splint when fully formed rarely
causes lameness, or decreases the value of the animal
so affected ; yet in the early stage of this disease,
when the deposition of bony matter is going on in-
ternally (if I may so express myself)—i.e., when
scarcely any bony protuberance can be detected by
passing the hand down the leg the animal will
evince symptoms of great suffering, and will conse-
quently, as a result of pain, go lame. For example:
I recollect a very fine young horse being very lame,
who baffled the skill of many, as the seat of lame-
ness could be discovered by none, when it was
finally determined to turn the horse out to grass.
The animal had not been out six weeks, before on
the inside of the cannon, and near the knee, a splint
appeared, after which he walked perfectly sound,
and remains so in this particular to this day. Splints
rarely interfere with the action of the joints, and
rarely, unless connected with other diseases, with
that of the suspensory ligament or tendons, as these
structures have the power of controlling the forma-
tion of bone in their vicinity, and iu so doing always
maintain a free passage for their proper functions.
Treatmcnt.—Before proceeding with radical
measures it is always necessary first to reduce all
inflammation present, and this is accomplished by
administering a dose of physic, and applying hot
and cold bathings to the leg alternately. The end
n view obtained—viz., reduction of inflammatory
action, repeated blisterings by means of the brino-
dide of mercury ointment may act beneficially, but
I prefer the performance of the operation called
periosteotomy, which the following will explain :
An incision through the skin above and below the
splint is made, and the skin raised up from the
splint by means of a seton needle. An appropriate
shaped knife is now passed under the skin, and the
splint is cut through, after which a dressed seton is
introduced. This operation can only be performed
by a qualified veterinarian. After the operation,
corn must be denied, and bran mashes or green food
given in its place. Through the medium of perios-
teotomy large splints have been reduced nearly level
with the bone.