266 PARTICULAR LAMENESSES. 



Professor Dick, as far as I can remember, did not meniiDn tlie 

 existence of this form of lameness ; and on referring to my notes 

 of his lectures, I can find nothing in them to lead me to think 

 that he did so, although the Museum contains many specimens 

 of the disease. 



"The gait in chronic carpitis," says Mr. Cherry, "affecting 

 both knee-joints, gives to a rider the sensation of the chest 

 being displaced from its right position — a sinking or ' foundering,' 

 and which feels as if it would increase at every step of the horse. 

 When attention is drawn to this peculiar gait, it is easy to be 

 distinguished from the short cat-like step in navicular arthritis, 

 which gives to a rider a sensation of the chest being raised up, 

 or an attempt at doing so ; further, the feet in navicular arthritis 

 are brought to the ground with the toe first, and in consequence 

 the step is short and stilty, from the weight being as much as 

 possible thrown on the column of bones, to relieve the affected 

 tendon, or surface over which it plays ; and from the same cause 

 there is great inclination to canter, a pace which, when slow, 

 brings into play but slightly the flexor tendons or navicular 

 joint. In carpitis, on the contrary, these symptoms are reversed, 

 from the cause of lameness being seated on, or amongst, the 

 carpal bones. The effort is not now to throw the weight on the 

 bony column, but on the tendons and ligaments, and by this 

 means to avoid concussion ; hence the limb is carried forward as 

 nearly straight as possible ; and still further to effect this object, 

 it is thrown with a circumductive motion outwards, and brought 

 to the ground with the heels first, as is shown by the wearing 

 away of the points of the heels of the shoe. This mode of pro- 

 gression produces a long step, and at the same time the fore 

 quarters are dropped or lowered, which has been, I doubt 

 not, the origin of the term 'chest-founder.' There is also a 

 disinclination to canter; and if this pace is attempted, it gives 

 increased pain, and a rocking motion exceedingly unpleasant 

 to the rider. 



" The diagnostic characters of the disease affecting one leg only 

 are the same as exist in both, but from the contrast which is 

 afforded by the sound limb, these are much more recognisable 

 than when both are affected ; to these, however, one otlier char- 

 acteristic must be added — the step of the lame leg bein^ rather 

 longer than tliat of the sound limb." 



