DISEASES AFFECTING BONES, ETC. 



nection with the limbs. A question that may 

 arise in the mind of the reader is one relating 

 to the occurrence of disease in both fore and 

 hind limbs, as to whether such troubles are 

 more frequent in the fore than in the hind limbs. 

 The author, in answering this question, believes 

 that such are about equally divided, although 

 the degree of concussion is necessarily greater 

 in the fore than in the hind limbs. It may be 

 accepted as a truism that nearly all diseases in 

 which bone is implicated are of a permanent 

 nature, in fact the development of new bone at 

 the seat of injury constitutes nature's method of 

 repairing the part, conferring additional strength 

 upon a structure that has been weakened through 

 injury. To this rule there are certain exceptions, 

 which will be alluded to under the proper 

 place. The mere possession of a blemish, or 

 some other unimportant trouble, does not neces- 

 sarily constitute unsoundness, neither may it 

 interfere with the animal's utility. If one were 

 to reject such horses, the probabilities are that 

 some of the most useful hunters in the country 

 would be laid aside. 



155 



