494 SPAVIN. 



it is a character of the affection founded on the lessened 

 irritabihty and increased deposition which warmth, friction, 

 and mental excitement occasion, to render the horse less 

 lame as lie progresses ; which symptom will assist to dis- 

 tinguish it from other affections. A spavin of the cuneiform 

 bones usually lames more than that which is lower down 

 and joins them to the metatarsals. Neither do spavins, when 

 arrived at a certain state, usually increase ; consequently 

 spavined horses for some purposes may prove useful. In 

 moderate and slow work they are even frequently amended ; 

 but in bad cases the fear of lying down prevents their 

 thriving. Thus post-masters and stage-coach drivers were 

 not often willing to purchase badly spavined horses, or any 

 others with permanent lamenesses behind, although they did 

 not reject the foundered or groggy horse. Lamenesses be- 

 fore force the horse to lie down ; those behind often hinder 

 him doing so, owing to an instinctive dread, that when once 

 down he cannot rise again ; and the persons alluded to were 

 well aware that the horse who lies most can work best. 



Treatment of Bone Spavin. — This does not differ from 

 that of splint, except that it is much oftener a cause of 

 serious lameness ; occurring, however, as it commonly does 

 in older horses, it also proves more obstinate ; and the 

 treatment required, therefore, should be more active. Among 

 the older farriers, who, like some of the moderns, thought 

 nothing too strong for a horse, \dolent mechanical operations 

 were resorted to ; as the mallet and chisel to chip it off, 

 boring the exostosis with a gimlet, punching it with a hot 

 iron, or applying caustics ; the first removing it mechani- 

 cally, and the three latter methods destroying its vitality 

 promoted its exfoliation. As might be expected, for 

 one case which succeeded (and in some it certainly did suc- 

 ceed), in many it increased the lameness, or ended in anchy- 

 losis, and sometimes in death. It is not improbable that 

 instruments may yet be devised which will operate on these 

 bony enlargements without risk ; though the chances are 

 fewer in the hock, from its connexion with capsular and 

 bursal ligaments, than in other parts. The treatment pur- 

 sued by veterinarians of the present day varies somewhat ; 

 those bordering on the old school still rub them with some 

 violence, and then stimulate them with ol : origanum, ol : 



