The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-11-22
RLNGBONES, SPAVLNS, SPLINTS, CURBs AND OTHER BONYO OR
CARTTLAGENOUS TUMORS.

The above names have passed to us from empirical works and
have little significance in themselves they are retained, however,
in new works to a large extent and are considered thus by the
people. Therefore we will study them under this popular heading.
R%ingbOnes, spavins, splints and curbs are osseous or bony
tumors resulting from local accidental inflammation or hereditary
predisposition; a curb, however, is sometimes only cartiagenous
instead of atways being bony like the others. These diseases being
in some sense hereditary, mares or stations affected thereby should
not be used as breeders.
The tumors consist of bony deposits or tissue within a joint
as occult spawn, or on the surface of joint bones. AS the disease
progresses the tumor extends on the bones and becomes more
prominent; soon it may interfere with the movements of the
individual bones forming an articulation. Thus the ringbone
which may occur anywhere from the hoof to the first long bones of
the legs may interfere only slightly with the nearest joint, or may
grow all around it in the form of a ring (hence %ringbone) and
cause serious lameness.
The spauin which usually occurs at the base of the hook joints
inside may grow at various points of these calculations inside and
outside and impede more or less their motions.
The curb which grows behind the hook joint below the
so-called point of the hook may affect only the tendon cord
and its sheath, or also the bones beneath so it may be partly bony
and partly cartnagenous.
The spHnts are small bony tumors growing on the long bones
(shanks) usually on the forelegs and inside of them they usually
appear between the main long bones and the side Cor splint J
bones below the knees or hooks.
The spavins and all bony tumors growing within a joint
occult or hidden spavins) are very difficult to diagnose and very
frequently 60 unrecognized.
The treatment of all of these bony diseases depends on the
causation, age of the patient, age of the tumor, its extent, position,
etc. A hereditary bony tumor is scarcely ever durable in any
sense. An accidental bony growth may be cured and sometimes
caused to disappear if taken at the outset the lameness is gener-
ally durable. A long-standlng tumor of accidental character is
rarely made to disappear but the lameness is occasionally durable.
Ringbones and spavins are at best difficult things to treat
successfully, but spints and curbs are more easily treated with
fairly good results. 1t is a recognized fact that more or less
severe counter irritation will accomplish more good than any and
all other treatments in such cases-particularly if the infammatio
Cheat IN the diseased spot) is made to disappear by very hot and
long lamentations, or very cold and long bathing. The counter
irritants used chiefly are bi-iodide of mercury cantharides,
ammonia or turpentine. The preparation and strength of such
blisters depends on the age and nature of the affection, and one
prescription can scarcely apply in all cases. Still there is a new
preparation in the market that acts admirably in the vast majority
of cases, particularly in curing lameness resulting therefrom. It'll
known as Bllsterine and combines the active principles of some pow.
erful irritants and absorbants. 1t may even replace the actual
cautery fire as applied by surgeons) in certain cases. But in all
lamenesses it will pay to call in not a quack or would-be expert
but a graduate veterinarian of good repute.