PATHOLOGY OF SPAVIN. 71 



alteration, however, does not stop here; for bony matter continues 

 to be deposited, so as to form a tumour on the inner side of the 

 hock. In ordinary spavins, however, inflammation is not confined 

 to this (inter-osseous) substance, but extends more or less over the 

 hock ; though the tumour generally forms at the head of ike inner 

 small metatarsal hone. And when once a spavin or splent has 

 taken place — for they are of precisely the same nature, only that 

 one is situated in the fore, the other in the hind legs — the disease 

 must for always remain." 



About the seat of spavin there is no room for dispute — the 

 tumour almost invariably grows in the same place. Still, it has 

 been remarked by the closest observers to be, in respect to eleva- 

 tion, either — what they have called — " high" or " low;" by which 

 is meant, to be situated either upon the cuneiform joint of the 

 hock or beneath it. In the latter case, having no relation what- 

 ever to the hock save proximity of site, the spavin would, to all 

 intents and purposes, amount to no more than a splent ; whereas, 

 in the former case, it would be a genuine spavin. Now, that the 

 one may, and sometimes does, originate in the other, there is suffi- 

 cient evidence to shew ; at the same time, it must not be forgotten 

 that the majority of the cases presented to us in the form of low 

 spavin, or veritable splent — " knots," as dealers call them — unat- 

 tended by any lameness, continue free from the supervention of 

 the spavin which produces lameness : at least, this I give as the 

 result of my own observation. I do not mean to deny the truth of 

 the Professor's doctrine, that spavin originates in splent : I only 

 mean to contend that such is not the common or usual wav in 

 which the disease commences, and that hind splents, or, what 

 means the same, low spavins, are seen existing for years upon 

 horses' limbs without giving rise to high or genuine spavin and 

 lameness. And this it was that led old authors on farriery, 

 from Gibson downwards, to make the remark, that high spavins 

 were " dangerous" when compared with low spavins. 



The Pathological Seat of Spavin must be looked for upon 

 the cushion* bones, in the joints they form with each other, and 

 with the metatarsal bone below, and the astragalus above. Too 



* I call the two large cuneiform, cushion bones ; resembling as they do, in 

 situ, cushions placed one upon the other. 



