HOW TO BUY AND SELL A HORSE, 267 



10. — ''Enlarged Glands. — To a slight enlargement of the glands under 

 the jaw much attention need not be paid ; but if they are of considerable 

 size, and especially if they are tender, and the gland at the root of the ear 

 partakes of the enlargement, and the membrane of the nose is redder than 

 it should be, we should hesitate in pronouncing that horse to be sound. 

 We should fear the commencement, or the insidious lurking, of disease. 



11. — ''Enlarged Hock. — A horse with enlarged hock is unsound. The 

 structure of this complicated joint being so materially affected that, 

 although the horse may appear for a considera])le time to do ordinary work 

 well, he will accasionally fail even as to that, and a few days' hard work 

 will always lame him. 



12. — ''The Eyes. — That inflammation of the eye of the horse which 

 usually terminates in blindness of one or both eyes, has the peculiar char- 

 acter of remitting or disappearing for a time, once or twice, or thrice, before 

 it fully runs its course. The eye, after an attack of inflammation, 

 regains so nearly its former natural brilliancy, that a man well-acquainted 

 with horses will not always recognize the traces of former disease. After 

 a time, however, the inflammation returns, and the result is unavoid- 

 able. A horse from four to six years of age that has had one attack of 

 this complaint, is long afterwards unsound, however perfect the eye mav 

 seem to be, because he carries about with him a disease that will again 

 break out, and eventually destroy the sight. Whether, therefore, he 

 may be returned or not, depends on the possibility of proving an attack of 

 inflammation of the eye, prior to the purchase. (See ophthalmia, page 

 r)"2().)- All defects of the eye should be provided against by special 

 guarantee. (See \n\\i,o 250.) 



13. — "LamenesSy from whatever cause arising, is unsoundness. How- 

 ever temporary it may be, or however obscure, it lessens the utility of the 

 horse, and renders him unsound for the time. How far his soundness 

 QVtiy be afterwards affected, must depend on the circumstances of the 

 case. A lame horse is for the time an unsound one. 



14. — " l^eurotomy . — A question has arisen how far a horse that has 

 undergone the operation of the division of the nerve of the leg, and has 

 recovered from the lameness with which he was before affected and stands 

 his work well, may be considered to be sound. In our opinion there 

 cannot be a doubt about the matter. A horse on whom this operation 

 has been performed may be improved, may cease to be lame, may go 

 well for many years ; but there is no certainty of his continuing to do 

 so, and he is unsound. 



15. — "Ossification of the lateral cartilages constitutes unsoundness, as 

 interfering with the natural expansion of the foot, and in horses of 

 nuick work almost invariably producing lumeness. 



