54 OSSIFIC DISEASE OF JOINTS. 



in patches, and along the middle of the groove, running between 

 the condyles of the humerus, to the extent of an inch and a half, 

 existed ulceration through the substance of the articular cartilage. 

 What, however, constitutes a remarkable feature of this post- 

 mortem account, and what is of more consequence to us in our 

 present inquiry, is, that from the surface from which splinters of 

 bone had been detached, a crop of soft granulations — of callus — 

 was seen springing up, which, in a short time, would have become 

 converted into bone ; and upon the bone in front, above the 

 attachment of the capsular ligament, appeared a ridge of new 

 formed matter, becoming osseous, running obliquely downward 

 towards the inner condyle, from the superficies of which were 

 sprouting similar granulations. 



The value of this case to us consists in the connexion of the 



appearances inside with those outside of the joint, and in the period 



of time these respective morbid changes were known for certain to 



have taken place : it being fairly assumable that all parts, before 



the accident — the horse being but three years old — were in the 



most perfect health. That the joint could not have been opened 



by the wound is evident enough ; nor was any discharge of 



synovia apparent until after the elapse of a fortnight from the 



commencement of the case; so that the morbid alterations within 



the joint may be said to have occupied a month, or to have been 



of some such duration. Those, hoAvever, exterior to the cavity of 



the joint may have earlier date affixed to them : granulations, no 



doubt, commenced growing from the fractured side of the condyle 



immediately after the setting in of inflammation, and the natural 



inference is, that the same inflammation which seized the broken 



condyle, spread itself upon the capsular ligament, and thence into 



the cavity of the shoulder joint, as well as upon the periosteum 



covering the epiphysis of the bone ; in one case causing opening 



of the joint, in the other the conversion of the fibrous tissue into 



bone. 



These are observations that will serve us as data where- 

 upon we may safely ground our theorizations on certain phe- 

 nomena which present themselves in such diseases of joints of 

 spontaneous — or apparently spontaneous — origin as resemble those 



