Rixo-noNE. An osseous tumour, situated upon the pastern bone; so called, because very commonly it forms a sort of ring around the circumferent sur face of that bone. It is very similar in its nature to splint or spavin; indeed it originates, like them, in the overstraining of soft parts, which in conse quence take on diseased action, and become con verted into bone. Over-weighting young horses, or putting them out beyond their powers, are the corn mon sources of spavins, splints, curbs, and ring bones.
Ring-bones may be accompanied with lameness or not, depending on the presence of inflammation, and on the degree of it; also on their volume and situation, so far as they may or may not interfere with the motions of the pastern joint. Repeated bleedings from the toe, blisters; or first firing, and then blistering, are the only remedies worthy of mention for them.
The diseases productive of lameness which re main to be described, arc all seated within or about the hoof, and one of the most important is fever in the feet, by which is meant inflammation of the sen sitive parts generally contained within the horny cavity. The symptoms of this malady are so re markable, that, having witnessed one case of it, it is hardly possible ever afterwards to mistake it. The animal cannot tolerate long the pain of bearing his weight upon the affected feet. Should the dis
ease be confined to the fore feet, he will bring the hind ones as far forwards as possible underneath his belly, in order that they may take the principal bearing; but, should all feet be suffering, lie will, after having stood for some time in considerable pain, lie down. It is, however, the posture in which he is observed to be standing, together with the peculiarity of his gait, that proclaims at once the nature of his complaint. And this is confirmed by the intense heat felt on clasping the hoofs. The treatment must consist in abstracting blood locally from the toe of each inflamed foot; and in covering the hoof afterwards, if possible to obtain it, with pounded ice, by placing it within a large poultice boot; if not, with the coldest poultice he can pro cure. At the same time, the coronets should be blistered. It is also advisable to purge the animal pretty briskly. The bleeding, poulticing, and blis tering should be repeated at short intervals, ac cording to circumstances. What we have to guard against, is suppuration or abscess of the foot; the natural consequence of which is spontaneous sepa ration and casting off the hoofs, leaving the animal thereby in a miserable plight, from which it be comes a duty to humanity to release him by putting him to death.