no EXAMINATION OF HORSES 



parts below the lower end of the tibia are one in struc- 

 ture and function, and bear the same relation to the tibia 

 and parts above them that the human foot does to the 

 tibia and parts above it. The long axis of the human 

 foot is horizontal, and the tibia is placed about perpen- 

 dicular to this. The bones of the foot form an arch on 

 which the tibia rests. This arch has a strong set of 

 ligaments stretched between its two extremities as a 

 string binds together the ends of a bow, by one structure 

 (the strong plantar fascia), which has no homologue in 

 the horse. This is marked by dotted lines in the figure 

 (Fig. 5). Otherwise both structures have like ligaments, 

 binding like structures, and have the same names. Now 

 I wish to draw your attention to one ligament (the 

 calcaneo cuboid), which in both subjects is the frequent 

 seat of disease, and from the same cause. You know 

 what a "curb" is, but you may not have heard that 

 human beings "spring curbs;" and yet they do. Poor 

 growing boys and girls standing for hours together at the 

 loom "spring curbs;" their calcaneo cuboid ligaments 

 inflame and soften and let down the arch of the foot, and 

 they have to be taken to hospitals and have repeated 

 blisters applied while they are resting in bed, when in 

 many cases the inflammatory softening gives way and 

 the arch is either fully restored or nearly so ; but if not, 

 they remain flat-footed; and if they are boys and wish 

 when they grow up to become soldiers, they are particu- 

 larly examined as to the arch of the foot, and if found 

 fiat-footed (to have curbs), they are rejected, because it is 



