36 



113. Side Bone and Navicular Disease. — These are fully 

 explained under the fourth Lecture on " The Horse's Foot — Shoeing, 

 &c:' (See Pars. 192 and 199. 



11^. Stifle Joint Disease. — This joint, which corresponds to the 

 knee of man, being a double joint, is, more particularly in an 

 old horse, subject to extensive disease of the bone from hereditary 

 and rheumatic causes. (See Plate IX., No. 30) The bone becomes 

 carious (worm-eaten), the cartilages are absorbed, and a porcelaneous 

 deposit takes place between the ends of the bones ; treatment is of very 

 little use. At the outset, rest and cold water applications, followed 

 by blistering, firing, and setoning may have a beneficial effect, or a 

 charge may be applied. (See Appendix.) 



115. Bone Spavin. — This may be defined as inflammation of 

 the head of the metatarsal or shank bone, and the cuneiform 

 bones, with a deposition of bony material, which at times forms an 

 exostosis, or bony enlargement, at the lower inner part, and 

 partially to the front, of the hock joint of the horse, {see Plate 

 IX., No. 34) and which, in many cases causes great pain and lameness 

 and a form of unsoundness. It is brought on by injury or over- 

 exertion, as in jumping, more particularly in young horses when 

 not trained or in condition. The pain, frequently, is so acute 

 that the animal, when first brought out of the stable, dare scarcely 

 put its foot to the ground, and, then, if it does, only on the toe, 

 yet after going a short distance, the lameness gradually disappears, 

 and the animal goes sound ; the lameness, however, returns again 

 after a short rest. The toe of the shoe of a spavined horse, it will 

 be noticed, is generally well worn. Bone spavin is not always 

 easily diagnosed, more particularly when the joints are weedy and 

 dissimilar, and there is an absence of lameness, which is of frequent 

 occurrence in half bred horses. This causes great difference of opinion 

 to occur amongst members of the profession — spavin or no spavin — 

 more particularly so in cases of occult spavin when three or four 

 small bones of the hock become united to such an extent that the 

 original divisions are not distinguishable, there being little or no 



