A HORSE IN SLINGS FOR OPEN JOINT.
Watching is necessary, because many horses when thus imprisoned, being left alone, grow terrified and injure themselves by struggling their bodies out of the slings. The presence of any human being assures the timidity and checks the active imagination of a solitary animal. The author well knows that the learning of the present time denies imagination to animals. Shying, is only the creature imagining something which is not actually before it. What are dreams but positive evidences of imagination? All people have heard the suppressed bark and seen the excited limbs of the dog as it slept upon the hearth rug. How many grooms have been surprised, upon their earliest visit, to see the stable knocked to pieces and the horse prostrated amid the ruin it has created! How is this to be explained if imagination be not present in the animal? This is the author's interpretation of the mystery. Dreams are active, in proportion to the immaturity of the reason. Children often wake up in tears, and continue screaming in terror for long periods if unattended to. The horse starts out of a fearful vision; darkness is about it; the fear augments; the animal begins kicking; the sound made by its own feet increases the creature's alarm; it lashes out frequently until it has pounded part of its dwelling into atoms and disabled itself to that degree which makes the highest punishment the greatest mercy.
A high trough is required to guard against the effects of that itching which attends the healing process, and provokes the animal to strike its knees. This it would do against the manger were its head in the customary position. Were a wall before it, the knees might still be laid open; but with a high trough nothing is within the reach of its injured joint. Even supposing one of the slender supports, by the cunning of excitement, to be struck, the substance should be too light to offer any dangerous resistance, the blow being far more likely to overturn the machine than to lacerate the limb.
When the quadruped has remained sufficient time in the slings to have become familiar with them, pull up the cloth so that it may slightly touch but not press against the belly. Then well secure it, and leave the animal to rest its wearied limbs, or not, as it pleases. Its suffering joints will soon teach the horse to bear the entire weight upon such a support, and to sleep comfortably in the contrivance. With a few, and only a few examples, living in slings has induced such confirmed constipation as necessitated a daily resort to bran mashes. Most horses, however, speedily accept and grow fat, enjoying the relief thus afforded. Only one caution need be given—look well to the tackle. The horse is very heavy, and should a single fastening prove insecure, the result might convert a healing wound into a hopeless injury.
THE ALBUMINOUS BALL, WHICH FORMS IN SHAPE OF AN OPEN JOINT WHEN TREATED WITH A SOLUTION OF CHLORIDE OF ZINC.
With the employment of slings, change the lotion for one composed of chloride of zinc, one scruple; water, one pint; this need be applied only during the day. It is too weak to occasion pain, and should be used with the saucer and sponge, after the manner of washing a broken knee or open joint, which has been previously illustrated. The strength, nevertheless, is sufficient to coagulate the albumen of the synovia. Thus it forms a species of natural bandage which excludes the air, while at the same time it stimulates the flesh and causes that to heal under the protection of its own albuminous secretion.
The coagulated albumen frequently accumulates in front of the knee. The author has seen it attached to the part quite of the size and very near to the form of the largest apple. It must on no account be touched, however large it may grow or however insecure it may appear. Respect it, and it will fall off when its service is accomplished. The cure is nearly completed when the white ball falls. Shortly after the wounds being closed, and pressure made with the fingers—not with the thumb—can be endured, the slings may be removed; though the healing should be further confirmed before the horse is allowed to stand opposite to any substance against which it may strike what recently has been a fearful open joint.