ON THE FOOT 141 



On my arrival at Croydon Mr Turner was prepared 

 with one dissection of the leg of a horse just killed, 

 to show me the original structure of the interior of 

 the foot ; and with another denuded of hair and flesh 

 so as to enable him to point out to me the situation 

 and office of the navicular bone and joint, wherein, 

 he contends, the seat of the disease called " founder, 

 or groggy lameness," is invariably to be seen ; and by 

 the very clear and able manner — suited to my capacity 

 on such subjects — in which he unfolded the evidence 

 necessary to estabhsh the fact, I shall be able to detail 

 it, I trust, in such language as may be intelligible to 

 the reader, being similar to that in which it was 

 conveyed to me. 



The navicular bone has its derivation from the Latin 

 word " navis," being supposed to resemble a boat ; 

 but, in my opinion, the old appellation of " shuttle 

 bone " need not have been disturbed, as the resembl- 

 ance here is the stronger of the two. By that wonder- 

 ful organ — the great flexor tendon of the leg — passing 

 immediately under this bone, and articulated with it, 

 the joint called the " navicular joint " is formed. 

 Immediately under this joint is the fatty or elastic 

 frog, also one of the greatest curiosities in nature ; 

 and under that is the horny or elastic frog. It is also 

 worthy of remark, that the navicular bone passes 

 across the foot from one side to the other, just above 

 the centre of the frog, forming, as it were, a double 

 joint with the pastern bone and the flexor tendon ; 

 thereby acting as an auxiliary supporter to the coffin 

 bone, in receiving the weight from above. On this 



