Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-11-09

gallop while the horse is fit, but towards
the end of it, when he tires and rightly
or wrongly, | regard sprain rs the
result of muscular fatigue. SO long as
a horses muscles are fit, and readily
respond to stimulus resulting in con-
traction, a sprain is practically impos-
sible; when those muscles tire the
strain comes on the tendons, and the
latter are in momentarily peril. :.
As muscles tire they become less and
less elastic. They less readily respond
to stimulus, and the strain of cUncus
sion can no longer, or only imperfectly,
be taken by them. with the result that
the tendOnOus attachments of such
muscles suffer. II is the natural elastl
| city of such muscle which saves its
tendon; when that elasticity is lost the
tendon suffers. Sprdins, although most
frequent in horses at fast work, and
when, as indicated, they become leg
weary, are sometimes also met with in
those performing slow work. Mr.. Nal
colin of Birmingham is quoted as hav-
ing pointed out that heavy horses in
two. wheeled carts were liable to sprain
their sub-carpal ligament about midway
between the knee and fetock. The
function of this igament is to keep the
knee and leg straight, and it Is apt to
be severely strained and sometimes to
give way when horse in the shafts of
Il two-wheeled cart. with a heavy load
bearing on his back, is strainng to
steady or stop his load on steep hill.
The eXtensor tendons and ligaments
perform light and Intermittent service
as compared with the heXors and ac.
cordingly are not subject to strain.
The treatment advocated for equine
spranS is very much the same as that
now successfully adopted for human
patients. The HOT fermentation formerly
advised, Captain Smith points out, en-
courages the hemorrhage and efluSion.
The sound principle is to check such eX-
udation and hasten its Absorption This
is most cflectually done in sprains of the
limbs by tight bandaging and subsequent
use of cold water and counter irritants. |
The tender swollen limb is envelopcd in /
tow, in order to cqualize pressure and
prevent cutting or injury of projections, /
and is then rolled in stout flannel ban |
dages. This tight blndaging at first |
causes pain, but gradually it becomes /
bearable, and the pain is followed in .
some hours by relief the pressure should .
be kept up for a week or even longer if
necessary, care being taken to remove /
the bandage morning and evening, eX-
anime the leg to see it is not being cut,
aud re-apply without delay. | have
been constantly asked, How tight do /
you apply the blndage: My reply Is.
rs tight as | can pull 1t; do
not fear doing any harm to the skin pro-
viding have plenty of tow around the
leg from knee To fetlock, and If | could
apply II tight baudage without cutting
the skin | would not use tow. When
this treatm mt is adopted early it is
astonishing to find that the bandage APP
piled tightly a few hours before rolls of
quite slack, or comparatively so. No
better indication of the advantage of the
treatment can be afforded than this sign,
and it eXpltns why the tight bandage
actually ultimately gives relief instead of
pain. VIZ, it presses the efiuS-
ION into the lymph vessels. BY
means of a rubber bandage the treat
ment becomes much easier, aud infinitely
less Luxurious to the practitioner; the
danger here to avoid is drawing the band
age too tight, "A condition IA rubber band
age naturally lends itself to
After the firm bandagng has done all
it is likely or expected to do, in about
ten days either cold water treatment or
more active may be applied.
have often blstered the limb as early
as the tenth day, and even earlier, and
think the practice is warranted by eX.
perience. On the other hand, we may
try the cold dOuche for month. still
the limb; in fact treating it
AS fracture, and follow it up either
by blistering or firing; and. though
do not doubt or undervalue the advan-
tage of all these methods of treatment.
am convinced that the chief reparatiye
process is rest.