Spavin

SPAVIN. Spavin, ringbone, and in fact any enlargement of the bone, by deposit of bony matter, may be referred to similar eauses, and should be treated alike, first to allay the inflam mation, and then to excite absorption. Firing, (burning the parts,) and all like heroic treatment, should be condemned; and disused, as a bar barous relic of the inhuman past. Bog spavin, and wind galls are produced by- the same cause, congestion, inflammation, and resulting enlarged Bump nmeo.Nce, and are relieved by- cooling: lotions in their first stages, and followed by bandaging of the parts. Blood spavin is a local venous congestion, and is to be met in the early stages, by cold water, and cooling lotions. later hy strong infusions of bayberry bark, or brandy and salt applied through a considerable period of time. Wind galls; are difficult of cure, and do not constitute unsoundness. Of the nature of spavin the late Dr. Dadd says: it is a compound of two diseases, known as epostosi8 and anchylosie; the former signifies hypertrophy of bone, (hyperostosis,)—morbid enlargement; auchylosis signifies stiff joint—absorption of inter-articular cartilage and substitution of bone. Ancbylosis, however, does not take place in what is properly understood as the hock joint, composed of the Oh, and astragaius—although a very common occurrence in the human sub ject: but it generally occurs beneath the true joint, within its collateral or inferior articula tions, known as the tarsal bones. Spavin, there fore, may commence in exostosis and end iu anchylosis, and eke vet sa. The seat of spavin, then, is on the inside of the hock, in the region of the tarsal bones, and beneath the true joint, from which point it may both spread and acquire magnitude. Hypertrophy, or enlargement of the bone beneath the tarsal articulations. occur ring on the upper part of the cannon, does not constitute spavin. Spavin has two origins, hereditary and exciting. Facts have proved con clusively that spavin, as well as predisposition, morbid tendency to the same, is transmitted from parents to offspring. It is probable, how ever, that predisposition is more frequently transmitted than actual disease; for the latter does not make its appearance so early as it otherwise would were it transmissible. Spavin is not peculiar to colthood, but to adult life, and even then can often be traced partly to an exciting cause, strain, injury, over-work, etc. Predis position may not always have an hereditary origin; still it will not differ in its mode of action from the former; for all predisposing causes produce in tbe eeonomy certain changes whiell may be said to prepare it for disease; and therefore, predisposition, whatever its source, may be considered as the iucubative stage of disease. Exeiting eauses are those from which this disease seems to have direct origin, such, for example, as strain, injury, overwork, etc.; yet these fail to produce spavin in a great majority of cases; in confirmation of which we have only to look into the history of our truck horses, particularly those used for several years in the shafts. The herculean strength necessary to back a load which requires the united strength of two or three to draw would, one would think, be likely to produce spavin; yet a great propor tion of sueh are exempt from this disease; there fore we may infer that exeiting causes are in some cases inoperative, unless conjoined with predisposition. Unfortunately for the poor brute, lameness is not generally of that character which incapacitates him for work; and thus he is urged to the performance of his duties, the disease progressing, and his sufferings increasing, until at last the owner sees that the lameness is not to be driven off. The generality of non-profes sional men are unwilling to believe in the exis tence of spavindinless they can both see and feel it, and are therefore more prone to refer primary spavin lameness to some other joint, until, after a few months of intermittent lameness, they are, by ocular demonstration, convinced. Spavin commencing in inter-articular cartilage is not demonstrable in this manner; there is no circum scribed tumor, nor irregularity ; our diagnosis must, therefore, be made up from the signs revealed—from the heat and tenderness about the part, of a subacute character—from the absence of tumor—from the manner of catching up the limb—and from the intermittent nature of the lameness, which is progressive, yet fluctuat ing. The history of the case, also, must be considered. If ft sort of irregular lameness has existed for some months, referable to no other joint than the hock, and the difficulty has of late gradually inereased, so that the joint appears stiff, all doubts are set aside, for anchylosis is hastening toward completion ; after which we may expect to observe a tumor on the inside of the hock. A tumor once formed in the region

already referred to needs no wise man to point it out ; it can be both seen and felt ; and this, accom panied with hock lameness and ligamentary tume faction, is the diagnostic symptom of spavin in its exostotic stage. In illustration of the subject of bony formation we shall End that originaI inflammation of the bony tissue is eomparatively rare, while that of the periostial investment or the bone is quite frequent. A variety of causes may account for this. Perhaps the most com mon is the evil of overwork. Hard driving on a hard road, as on a plank road, on the frozen ground, or on the ice, or the strain of draft, as. too heavy a load, may excite periostial inflam mation, and from this as a commencement we may have splint, spavin, ringbone, nodes, etc. Splint (Fig. 1 a) is a bony tumor at some point about the cannon and splint bones. The knee-joint is formed at its inferior part, between the lower row of earpel bones and the cannon and splint bones, the two latter forming a considerable portion of the joint. As the leg is flexed these bones slide upon the cannon bones, contributing to the elasticity of the step. When the motion is violent and long continued. especially with, striking upon a hard surface, irritation first and inflammation afterward may be produced in the periostial membrane covering these bones. Bony matter is thrown out in the immediate. vieinity- of their adjacent surfaces, and the result is a sealing together of the bones and the formation of a bony tumor. Unfortu nately the condition is frequently overlooked until the change is complete and the disease beyond a remedy, for when the bony union is thoroughly consolidated it can not be remedied. For a time, while the deposit is fresh callus, and, the circulation active, measures to abate the inflammation and to excite the absorption of the deposit may restore the integrity of the part. In the pathology of the disease, (Fig. 1 and 2) splint and ringbpne, as before stated, are the same. They have the same causes, and are pre ceded by the same stages of morbid action ; but, from the relation of parts, ringbone, at its form ing stage, gives rise to earlier and greater lame ness. Attention is earlier called to tbe disease, and treatment is usually sooner applied. Splint may go on to its final stage of bony consolida tion without giving rise to much lameness and without attracting attention to the diseased part, which rnay escape observation unless the hand is. passed over the small tumor; but in ringbone usually the lameness appears with the inflamma tion, and the earliest effusion over the region ealls. attention to the seat of the disease. Spavin,(Fig. 4, 5 and 6,) when it consists in the deposit of bony matter about the bock joint, and the con sequent cementing together of the tarsal bones, or the destruetion of the tarso-metatarsal joint, is a similar disease, having essentially the same causes. This form of disease may exist in every degree, from a slight exostosis near the joint to. sueli an amount as will entirely destroy the joint, and so invade the soft tissues that the slightest movement is productive of great suffering. Fig. 7 and 8 shows, in spavin, the lower tarsal bones, cementation by the deposit of bony matter. In the treatment of spavin, ringbone, splint or. any disease of the joints or limbs involving inflammation, rest is absolutely necessary. If the disease has progressed, and bony matter has formed, there is absolutely no cure. Pain, how ever, will nbt be severe after the bony process is completed. Hence the wonderful cures, by various nostrums, applied at such stage, and which would have resulted naturally in a so called cure. The treatment is, in the first stage of the inflammation, cold water applications thoroughly applied, as for any other inflamina tion. Then to cause absorption. A good resol vent is four ounces mercurial ointment, one half ounce of powdered cantharides, and two drachms of oil of rosemary. Triturate these thoroughly together, and use daily. Thoroughly rubbing the part with oleate of mercury, from day to day, will soon dissipate whatever has not already become bone. If before these are applied, when bony formation has commenced, it would be well to insert a narrow bladed bis toury under the skin and scarify the seat of the spavin freely.