GB2159411A

GB2159411A - Cure of locomotorial disease in horses

Info

Publication number: GB2159411A
Application number: GB08512852A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Toru Hamada
Original assignee: HAMADA IKEN CO Ltd
Current assignee: HAMADA IKEN CO Ltd
Priority date: 1984-05-29
Filing date: 1985-05-21
Publication date: 1985-12-04
Also published as: GB8512852D0; DE3519083A1; FR2565106A1; AU4276985A; JPS60253442A; DE3519083C2

Abstract

A patch containing germanium is applied to an affected part or a vital point of a horse's body to cure or prevent locomotiral diseases.

Description

SPECIFICATION Method for Cure of Locomotorial Disease in Horses This invention relates to a method for the cure of locomotorial disease in racehorses, for example.

Racehorses are constantly required to indulge in strenuous physical exercise in preparation for races.

The diseases suffered by the racehorses, therefore, occur predominantly in their locomotorial organs, particularly in the muscles, tendons, and joints.

Rest is claimed to be the best medicine for their cure. In actuality, however, the cure by rest more often than not proves to be impracticable. In such circumstances, it is a common practice to force ailing racehorses to participate in races with the symptoms of their diseases temporarily repressed with internal medicines. When these diseases are left to become chronic, they are in most cases aggravated to the point that they can no longer be effectively cured with internal medicines. In the Orient, treatment with internal medicines is often carried out in combination with treatment by acupuncture and moxibustion.

Further, for racehorses, daily management of health constitutes an important matter. Also from the standpoint of preventive veterinary medicine, efforts should be continued to prevent racehorses from the aforementioned diseases by early elimination of fatigue from their bodies, especially from the muscles and tendons. A proper method capable of effectively preventing such diseases as described above remains yet to be developed.

In view of the situation described above, the present invention aims to provide a method for the cure and prevention of diseases of locomotorial organs, particularly the muscles, tendons, and joints in racehorses, for example.

The essence of the present invention resides in effecting the cure of a locomotorial disease in a horse by applying to the affected part or a vital point (meaning a point known to respond to treatment by acupuncture and moxibustion) of the horse's body a patch formed preponderantly of germanium.

Germanium is known to possess a peculiar semiconductor property unlike other metallic elements.

This invention has originated from the discovery that use of a patch formed preponderantly of germanium is effective in curing or preventing diseases suffered by racehorses in their muscles, tendons, and joints.

Figure 1 is a typical side view of a patch to be used for the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the patch of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating another typical patch to be used for this invention.

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a typical position selected in the muscular pain region of the body of a horse for application of the patch.

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a typical position selected in the arthritic region of the body of a horse for application of the patch.

Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a typical manner of application of the patch.

Concrete examples of the patch formed preponderantly of germanium include (a) a patch using elemental germanium of high purity on the order of 99.99%, for example, (b) a patch using germanium in a form mixed with other semiconductor substance such as, for example, silicon, selenium, tellurium, or boron, (c) a patch using pure germanium converted into an N type or P type semiconductor by the incorporation therein of a dopant having a valency of +5 or +3, (d) a patch using a mixture of germanium granules with activated carbon powder thermally molded in a prescribed shape as by sintering, (e) a patch using a mixture of germanium granules with the granules of a metal such as, for example, silver, gold, tin, aluminum, or copper which is excellent in thermal conductivity and difficult of ionization, the mixture being thermally molded in a prescribed shape as by sintering, and (f) any of the patches of (a) through (e) described above having a thin coating of silver or gold superposed on the upper side thereof.

In the case of the patch (b), germanium is required to account for at least 70% by weight and the other semiconductor element for 5%~30% by weight respectively of the patch. If the proportion of the other semiconductor element exceeds the upper limit thereof indicated above, the patch is no longer practicable because the adhesive effect thereof is not sufficient.

In the case of the patch (c), germanium is required to account for at least 60% by weight. In the case of the thermally molded patch (d), physical stimulation can be utilized for the cure in addition to the curative Ol preventive property possessed by germanium itself. In this case, the mixing ratio of the germanium granules and the activated carbon powder is desired to fall in the range of 40 to 70% of the former vs. 60 to 30% of the latter by volume.

In the case of the patch (e), the mixing ratio of the germanium granules to the granules of the metal excellent in thermal conductivity and difficult of ionization is not specifically defined. The proportion of germanium granules nevertheless is desired to exceed 20% by weight, preferably 50% by weight. So long as this proportion is not less than 20% by weight, the property of germanium manifested in the patch is not lost. If the proportion falls short of 20% by weight, the effect which the germanium semiconductor can be expected to manifest is not sufficient.

In the case of the patch (b), the combination of the two semiconductor elements may be in the form of an alloy or, on the condition that the patch to be produced possesses strength sufficient for the purpose of adhesion, a mere mixture.

The germanium to be used for the present invention may be a single crystal or a polycrystal.

The patch to be used for the present invention may be in any shape selected freely so long as it easily adheres to the affected part of the vital point of the body of a horse. As illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 2, for example, the patch comprises a cylindrical part 1 having a height of 4 mm and a conical part 2 having a height of 1 mm and formed on the upper side of the cylindrical part 1. The entire surface of the aforementioned conical part 2 is desired to be formed of a plurality of equal isosceles 3 with an arcuate base contiguously arranged so that all the equal edges of the isosceles converge and finally meet at the apex of the conical part 2.

In this case, the diameter of the cylindrical part 1 of the patch is variable with the position selected on the body of a horse for application of the patch. When either of the knees is selected, the diameter is 15 mm.

When rump is selected, the diameter is 20 mm. When any slender part such as the cannon is selected, the diameter is desired to be about 10 mm.

Figure 3 depicts one modification of the patch illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 2. In this modified patch, the equal edges 3a', 3a' of the isosceles 3' with an arcuate base converge and finally meet at the apex 2a of the conical part 2 while more or less curving helically. The patch may be in such a shape as just portrayed.

The patch constructed as described above is applied to the affected part or a vital point in the body of an ailing horse. When the patch to be used is shaped as illustrated in Figure 2 or Figure 3, it is placed so that the apex 2a of the conical part 2 thereof will be situated exactly on the affected part or vital point and it is then secured there with a covering piece such as an adhesive plaster.

In this case, since the patch being used has the entire surface of the conical part 2 thereof formed of a plurality of identical isosceles triangles 3 having arcuate bases, or identical more or less helically curved triangles 3' having arcuate bases, arranged contiguously, the conical part 2 depresses the affected part or vital point of the body of the horse and enhances the effectiveness of the treatment.

EXAMPLE 1. Horses Tested: Seven racehorses registered for entry in races at Kaminoyama Race Track in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan were subjected to the test. They consisted of five racehorses suffering from muscular pain and two racehorses suffering from arthritis. Thus, they were divided into two groups, i.e. muscular pain group and arthritis group. All were thoroughbreds 4 to 8 years of age; three females and four males (Tables 1 and 2 shown below).

TABLE 1.

Muscular Pain Group

No. Species Sex Age Part of body used for test 1 Thoroughbred F 5 Branchial muscle 2 Thoroughbred F 4 Muscles in general 3 Thoroughbred M 6 Maximum dorsal muscle and shallow to medium gluteal muscles 4 Thoroughbred M 7 Shallow to medium gluteal muscles 5 Thoroughbred M 5 Same as above TABLE 2.

Arthritis Group

No. Species Sex Age Part of body used for test 1 Thoroughbred F 6 Fetlock of rear left leg 2 Thoroughbred M 8 Fetlock of front left leg 2. Testing Method: On the racehorses of the muscular pain group, patches of the construction illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 2 were applied one each on the left and right sides of the vital points denoted by (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) and (h) as illustrated in Figure 4.

On the racehorses of the arthritis group, the same patches were applied two each on the inner and outer sides as illustrated in Figure 5.

The patches used as described above were formed of elemental germanium of a purity of 99.99%.

These patches were in the sizes shown in the following table.

TABLE 3

Place for Diameter of Group Application Cylindrical Part Muscular pain group (a) 15 mm (b) 15 mm (c) 15 mm (d) 20 mm (e) 20 mm (f) 20 mm (9) 20 mm (h) 20 mm Arthritis group 10 mm The patches so applied were removed before the racehorses were taken out for field training. When the horses were brought back from training field, the patches were replaced at the same places on the horses after they were thoroughly wiped to remove moisturesuch perspiration.

When a patch was to be used in a hairy part, only the immediate part to which the patch was expected to be applied was shaved. Then, the patch applied to that shaved part was secured in place with adhesive plaster attached fast to the periphery.

When a patch was applied to a joint, the patch applied thereto was secured in place with an annular bandage 4 superposed thereon (as illustrated in Figure 6).

The test described above was continued for a period of about one month.

3. Results of Test: The clinical results for the muscular pain group were evaluated in three categories, i.e. tension of muscle, painfulness of pressure, and lameness. The clinical results for the arthritis group were evaluated in three categories, i.e. swelling, feverishness, and tenderness. For each of the symptoms mentioned above, the effects of the treatment were rated on a four-point scale, i.e. notable effect, average effect, slight effect, and no effect.

a. The clinical results obtained for the muscular pain group indicate that, in the alleviation of tension of muscle, average effect was recognized in four horses and no effect in one horse, in the alleviation of painfulness of pressure, average effect was recognized in three horses, slight effect in one horse, and no effect in one horse, and in the elimination of lameness, slight effect was recognized in three horses and no effect in two horses (as shown in Table 4).

TABLE 4.

Effects Determined by Clinical Results for Muscular Pain Group

Effect Slight No Clinical Results Effect Effect Effect Total Alleviation of tension of 4 1 5 muscle Alleviation of painfulness of 3 1 1 5 pressure of muscle Elimination of lameness 3 2 5 b. The clinical effects for the arthritis group indicate that in the alleviation of swelling, slight effect was recognized in two horses, in the alleviation of feverishness, slight effect was recognized in two horses, and, in the elimination of painfulness of pressure, slight effect was recognized in one horse and no effect in one horse (as shown in Table 5).

TABLE 5.

Effects Determined by Clinical Results for Arthritis Group

Effect Slight No Clinical Results Effect Effect Total Alleviation of swelling 2 2 Alleviation of feverishness 2 2 Elimination of painfulness 1 1 2 of pressure Elimination of lameness 2 2 4. Conclusion: From the clinical results described above, the following conclusion can be drawn.

a. On the horses of the muscular pain group, effects are manifest in the alleviation of tension of muscle and painfulness of pressure of muscle. This fact indicates that the method of this invention is effective in the cure of horses which, in consequence of exercises, suffer from accumulation of muscular fatigue to the extent of developing tension and pain.

b. On the horses of the arthritis group, effects are manifest in the alleviation of swelling and feverishness.

Effect of the Invention In summary, the present invention is effective in the cure of diseases of muscles, tendons, and joints in horses. When racehorses sufferfrom accumulation of fatigue and possible induction of diseases, this invention produces a notable effect in the elimination of the fatigue. Thus, this invention is also effective in preventing the aforementioned diseases.

Further, it has been demonstrated that the patch incorporating activated carbon powder, the patch incorporating the granules of a metal difficult of ionization, and the patch produced by thermally molding a mixture of germanium with other semiconductor element are similarly effective in the cure and prevention of the diseases.

Claims

1. A method for the cure of a disease in a locomotorial organ of a horse, which is characterised by applying a patch formed preponderantly of germanium to the body of a horse.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said patch is applied to the part of the body of a horse afflicted by the disease.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said patch is applied to a vital point in the body of a horse.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said patch is a mixture of germanium with at least one other semiconductor element.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the proportion of said other semiconductor element falls in the range of 5% by weight to 30% by weight based on said patch.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said patch is formed by thermally molding germanium granules in conjunction with activated carbon powder or the granules of a metal excellent in thermal conductivity and difficult of ionization.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the mixing ratio of germanium granules to activated carbon powder fall in the range of 40:60 to 70:30 by volume.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein said patch is formed of germanium granules and the granules of a metal excellent in thermal conductivity and difficult of ionization and said germanium granules account for at least 20% by weight based on said patch.

9. A method for the prevention of a disease in a locomotorial organ of a horse, which is characterised by applying a patch formed preponderantly of germanium to the body of a horse.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said patch is applied to a locomotorial part of a horse.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said patch is applied to a vital point in the body of a horse.

12. A patch for use in the treatment of locomotorial disease in horses which patch comprises a treatment composition comprising a pharmaceutically effective amount of germanium.

13. A patch as claimed in claim 12 wherein said composition comprises a mixture of germanium with at least one other semi-conductor element.

14. A patch as claimed in claim 13 wherein the proportion of said other semi-conductor is 5% by weight to 30% by weight based on said patch.

15. A patch as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14 wherein the treatment composition is formed by the thermal molding of germanium granules with activated carbon powder or granules of a metal having good thermal conductivity and difficult of ionization.

16. A patch as claimed in claim 15 wherein the mixing ratio of germanium granules to activated carbon powder falls in the range 40:60 to 70:30 by volume.

17. A patch as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 16 wherein said composition is formed of germanium granules and the granules, of a metal excellent in thermal conductivity and difficult of ionization and wherein the said germanium granules account for at least 20% by weight of said treatment composition.

18. A patch as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a backing substrate for said composition and adhesion means for securing said patch to the body of a horse.

19. A patch substantially as herein described and/or as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

20. Each and every novel embodiment herein set forth taken either separately or in combination.