When they are acutely painful, a poultice, on which one drachm of opium and one drachm of camphor is sprinkled, will frequently afford relief. They may also, at such times, be rubbed with a drachm of chloroform combined with two drachms of camphorated oil. These measures, however simple, aim at mitigating the present symptoms--they do not even infer the possibility of curing the disease. Periostoteomy pretended to do something of that sort; but has failed so often, it is now seldom recommended by practiced veterinarians. When, however, a particle of the bone interferes with a tendon, the lameness is so acute that often the choice lies between cure and death; for some, even of present proprietors, scorn to sell a favorite horse which has become sick in their service. In these cases, it is lawful to open the skin, and with a fine saw, a chisel or a sharp knife, to remove the offending growth; after the operation, leave the skin open and dress the wound with a lotion made of chloride of zinc one grain, to water one ounce. This application has the great merit of keeping down granulations; but employ nothing irritating to the bone, or the result may be worse than the injury which has been removed. Splints sometimes occur on the outer side of the hind leg; there, however, they are little thought of. The hind leg propels the horse, but does not support its body; therefore, splints of this last sort are less unpleasant to the rider. The hind leg, not bearing much weight, splints, when situated on that member, do not occasion very severe lameness, and the enlargement being located upon the outside of the shin, is thereby removed from the possibility of being struck by the opposite hoof. For these reasons, splints of the foregoing nature are considered trifles, and are rarely esteemed worthy of much notice. To check the further enlargement of a splint with a fair chance of also removing the deformity--though with no hope of releasing the parts locked together by bony union--employ the ointment already recommended for spavin:-- Iodide of lead One ounce. Simple ointment Eight ounces. Mix, and apply with friction thrice daily. RING-BONE. The whole soul of the horse seems devoted to man's will; who has not seen a team of small but sturdy horses contrive to drag a heavy load up a steep hill, as though nothing could afford them such content as to leave their hoofs behind them! What Londoner but has witnessed the cart-horse dig its toes into the stones of Ludgate Hill, and make the muscles bulge out upon the glossy coat as though life had but one object, and to that object the animal was straining every nerve! [Illustration: A HORSE STRAINING TO MOUNT A STEEP HILL.]