nts of danger which
may involve the necessity of severe surgical interference.

_Treatment._--The curative treatment should be similar to the
prophylactic, and such means should be used as would tend to prevent the
deposit of bony matters by checking the acute inflammation which causes
it. The means recommended are the free use of the cold bath; frequent
soaking of the feet, and at a later period treatment with iodin, either
by painting the surface with the tincture several times daily or by
applying an ointment made by mixing 1 dram of the crystals with 2 ounces
of vaseline, rubbed in once a day for several days. If this proves to be
ineffective, a Spanish-fly blister to which a few grains of biniodid of
mercury have been added will effect in a majority of cases the desired
result and remove the lameness. If finally this treatment is ineffectual
the case must be relegated to the surgeon for the operation of
neurectomy, or the free and deep application of the firing iron.

SPAVIN.

(Pls. XXVII-XXIX.)

This affection, popularly termed bone spavin, is an exostosis of the
hock joint. The general impression is that in a spavined hock the bony
growth should be seated on the anterior and internal part of the joint,
and this is partially correct, as such a growth will constitute a spavin
in the most nearly correct sense of the term. But an enlargement may
appear on the upper part of the hock also, or possibly a little below
the inner side of the lower extremity of the shank bone, forming what is
known as a high spavin; or, again, the growth may form just on the
outside of the hock and become an outside or external spavin. And,
finally, the entire under surface may become the seat of the osseous
deposit, and involve the articular face of all the bones of the hock,
which again is a bone spavin. There would seem, then, to be but little
difficulty in comprehending the nature of a bone spavin, and there would
be none but for the fact that there are similar affections which may
confuse one if the diagnosis is not very carefully made.

But the hock may be "spavined," while to all outward observation it
still retains its perfect form. With no enlargement perceptible to sight
or touch the animal may yet be disabled by an occult spavin, an
anchylosis in fact, which has resulted from a union of several of the
bones of the joint, and it is only those who are able to realize the
importance of its action to the perfect fulfillment of