LAMENESS IN THE FORE LEG 157 



being trampled upon and otherwise contused or cut, as in lacer- 

 ated wounds of the quarter. 



Symptomatology. — Ossification of tlie cartilages is known by 

 grasping the free borders with the fingers and attempting their 

 flexion ; the rigid inflexible ossified cartilage is thus easily recog- 

 nized. 



Lameness during weight-bearing occurs in the majority of 

 cases at some time. Much depends on the conformation of the 

 foot and whether the involvement affects one or both cartilages 

 as to the degree and duration of lameness which marks this 

 affection. In narrow and contracted heels it is reasonable to 

 expect more lameness than in well formed feet. "Where only 

 one cartilage is ossified, the other being flexible, there is less in- 

 convenience experienced by the subject during weight-bearing, 

 because of the expansion of the heel which the one normal carti- 

 lage allows. 



Treatment. — There is little if anything to be done in case the 

 cartilage ha.s become ossified except to shoe without high calks 

 but preferably with rubber pads. The hoof should be kept 

 moist; the wall at the quarter may be rasped thin and kept 

 anointed. Firing is of no practical benefit in these cases, and 

 it is doubtful if vesication is helpful excepting where only a part 

 of the cartilage is ossified. 



Subjects which continue somewhat lame, because of complete 

 ossification of both cartilages, are best put to slow work on soft 

 ground and not driven on pavements. 



Navicular Disease. 



This more or less ambiguous term has been applied to various 

 diseases affecting the structures which make up the coffin joint. 

 "We consider this name to be applicable to inflammatory involve- 

 ment of the third sesamoid (navicular bone), the deep flexor 

 tendon (perforans) and the bursa podotroehlearis or navicular 

 bursa. 



Etiology and Occurrence. — In 1804 Thomas Greaves^ wrote 

 on the subject of navicular disease as follows: "The opinion I 



^Edinburgh Veterinary Review, Vol. VI, page 616 



