AS TO SOUNDNESS. 37 



spectable dealer sent his most trustworthy stableman 

 leading a valuable six-year-old bay carriage gelding in 

 a snaffle bridle to my premises to be examined, and a 

 written certificate was to be sent back along with the 

 horse, which was to be purchased by a wealthy woollen 

 manufacturer, if sound, — only if sound. When turning a 

 corner he was startled by a passing vehicle, jumped on 

 one side, came down on one of his knees, and a Httle 

 piece of hair was neatly taken out of the front of the 

 knee as if cut with a pair of sharp scissors. This 

 happened not a stone's throw from my infirmary. I 

 examined the horse and found him sound in all other 

 respects, but I could not write a certificate of soundness 

 because I should have to say he had a "broken knee." 

 I knew the intending purchaser, he was one of my em- 

 ployers, and a certificate with qualifying remarks he 

 would not have looked at twice, so that, in fairness to 

 the dealer as well as to the purchaser, I waited upon the 

 latter personally, and explained the whole matter, at the 

 same time explaining the vague interpretation of the law 

 upon the subject. The result of the interview was the 

 purchase of the horse subject to my giving a certificate 

 of " soundness in every other respect." From the diffi- 

 culty I experienced in gaining the attention of this 

 gentleman in explanation, I feel sure a certificate would 

 have been thrown into the waste-paper basket in three 

 seconds, and the clerk ordered to write to the dealer 

 saying, " That in consequence of Mr. Fearnley being 

 unable to give a certificate of soundness, Mr. must 



