134 NAVICULAKTHRITIS. 



ijrojecting points or ridges of new growth, or exhibiting superficial 

 excavations more or less extensive.'' — " The horse cannot possibly 

 place the tendon in a state of repose or inactivity, except during 

 the time he lies upon the ground; and it is subject to pressure 

 invariably both in his lying down and getting up. This constant 

 exposure to pressure, in addition to the nature of the parts injured, 

 renders inflammation permanent, and prevents coffin-joint lameness 

 receiving permanent relief." 



There are other passages in this lengthy letter I might extract, 

 did not those I have taken appear sufficient to prove that Moor- 

 croft was well acquainted with the seat and nature of navicular- 

 thritis under the appellation of "coffin-joint lameness;" and that 

 it was, in point of fact, this identical disease to which his letter to 

 Sir Edward Codrington, in the year 1804, had reference. 



In 1808, Moorcroft quitted England for India, leaving Field, 

 senior, in possession of his practice in Oxford-street, and Cole- 

 man sole Professor at the Veterinary College, by which latter 

 gentleman lectures were continued to be given at the College, 

 without — as I have already shewn — any mention whatever being 

 made of the navicular joint disease : leading us to infer that Moor- 

 croft had imparted none of the knowledge he possessed of " coffin- 

 joint lameness" to his successor, Coleman. Indeed, from the time 

 Moorcroft departed for India, false notions about coffin-joint or 

 foot lameness appeared once more to have gained currency ; and 

 as Coleman taught that either contraction of the hoof, or disease 

 of the laminae of the foot, was the proximate cause of " groggi- 

 ness," the real or true cause was not likely to be again brought to 

 light unless by some one of Coleman's eleves, who — not " pinning 

 his faith upon another man's sleeve" — looked into matters for him- 

 self. And such turned out to be the case. The disciple of the 

 Professor who did " look into matters for himself" was Mr. James 

 Turner ; and the result of his investigations into the causes of 

 " groggy" lameness was the discovery, afresh, of navicular joint 

 disease. Mr. Turner, no more than myself, possessed no other 

 knowledge than what he had derived from Professor Coleman's 

 " Lectures," or, at all events, was in entire ignorance of what had 

 been seen or done in respect to navicularthritis by Moorcroft; and. 



