In some cases, swelling does not develop as the result of a single injection of iodin. When marked swelling has not taken place within five days, none will occur and a repetition of the injection may be made within ten days after the first treatment has been given. One may safely increase the amount of iodin at the second injection in such cases by one-fourth to one-third.
In Europe this method of treating bog spavin has been employed by Leblanc, Abadie, Dupont and others according to Cadiot; but Bouley, Rey, Lafosse and Varrier used it with bad results. Where a perfect technic is executed (and no other is excusable in this operation), no infection will occur if a reasonable amount of iodin is injected. The dilution of iodin with an equal amount of alcohol has been practised by the author in many cases, but later this was found unnecessary.
Other methods of treatment have been used with success. Perhaps the most heroic consists in opening the joint capsule with a bistoury or with the actual cautery. Such practice is too hazardous for general use and is not to be recommended, although good results should follow the employment of such methods if infectious arthritis does not occur.
Line firing over the distended capsule is a practical method of treatment. This is attended with good results in young animals in many cases, but considerable blemish is caused when sufficient irritation is produced to stimulate resolution.
Vesication also is successfully employed in some instances. However, only cases of recent origin in young animals—colts of two years or younger—yield to blistering, and in some affected colts no doubt recovery would have been spontaneous had no treatment been instituted.
Ligation of the saphenous vein at two points, one above and the other below the distended ligamentous capsule, is an old operation, which has undoubtedly given good results in some cases, although it does not seem to be a rational procedure.
After-Care.—After swelling has fully developed—which occurs within a week—the subject is turned to pasture and no attention is necessary thereafter. A gradual subsidence of the swelling occurs and in the average instance, this completely resolves within six or eight weeks.
Complete recovery succeeds the aspiration-and-injection-treatment in about seventy-five per cent of cases as the result of one operation, and subjects may be gradually and carefully returned to work in about sixty days after treatment has been given.
Distension of the Tarsal Sheath of the Deep Digital Flexor.
(Thoroughpin.)
The terms "thoroughpin" or "throughpin" are translations from the French vessignon chevillé and have the same significance. They are so named because of the diametrically opposed distensions of the sheath of the deep flexor tendon in such manner that the distensions appear to be due to a supporting peg.