12 O]^ SOUNDNHSS. 



teution here to deal with broad priDciples, leaving the 

 nicer shades of distiuctiou for consideration until such time 

 as we come to treat of particular lameness^ we may safely 

 say that every horse showing lameness must be pro- 

 nounced unsound; although the converse of this, as a fun- 

 damental principle, will by no means hold good — every 

 horse not showing lameness not necessarily being (consid- 

 ered as) a sound horse. For instance, a horse may have a 

 spavin, or a curb, or a swollen back sinew, and still evince 

 no lameness, even though he may show marks of having 

 heen fired or blistered for the same, and so give us every 

 reason to believe that formerly he has experienced actual 

 lameness from one or other of these defects. Would, 

 however, any veterinary surgeon, under these circum- 

 stances, give a certificate of soundness? If he did, it must 

 be qualified in a manner that would little induce any per- 

 son to purchase such a horse, unless at a price consonant 

 "With the evident reduction of its value. It will be requi- 

 site, therefore, for us to say, not simply that every lame 

 horse is unsound, but to add the words, or that has that 

 about him tvhich is likely on tvork to render him lame. This 

 "Will, it is true, open the door to difference of opinion and 

 equivocation. There may, as we have seen, spring up 

 two opinions concerning the presence even of lameness. 

 There will in more cases be two opinions concerning that 

 which is accounted to be the precursor of lameness, or 

 have a tendency at some period, proximate or remote, to 

 produce lameness ; all which difierences are best got rid of 

 by reference to the ablest veterinary advice. There will 

 be less diversity of opinion among professional men than 

 among others, and the more skillful and respectable the 

 professional persons are, the greater will be the probability 

 of a happy unison in their views of the case. To lay down 



