S P L E N T S. 51 



writings at the expenfe of a reader's under- 

 standing as well as his purse. From cir- 

 cumflances the moft predominant It abfolutely 

 appears that neither of the authors here quoted 

 (notwlthftanding the degree of eftimation they 

 may be held in) gave himfelf time, even for 

 a moment, to confider the nature of the " ex- 

 *^ crefcence*' he means or virifhes to defcribe, 

 or the method of cure he may be naturally 

 anxious to recommend. 



And this the more powerfully appears, by 

 the ridiculous attempt to deftroy what they 

 acknowledge an apparent offification, or bony 

 fubftance, feated upon a folid body, under the 

 integuments, without a deflrudion of the in- 

 teguments themfelves, or a palpable injury to 

 the component parts. But to bring this 

 matter as near the truth as conjedure can juf- 

 tify, we will (by allowing an alternative), take 

 one or other for the fad, and draw what muft 

 appear a very natural and juft concluilon ; that 

 is, whether the protuberance upon any part of 

 the fhank-bone, called a Splent, is an enlarge- 

 ment of the pen'ojleum (or membrane cover- 

 ing the bone), by an original rupture of the 

 fmall vefTels, and the extravafated fluid col- 

 E 2 lefted 



