OCCULT- SPAVIN. 243 



affection. In other cases equally obscure, the same 

 diseased appearance has been found in the upper joint 

 of the hock, in which the principal motion takes place. 



It is of the utmost importance to distinguish between 

 bony and occult-spavin. The first can be relieved so as 

 to render the horse serviceable to its owner; but the 

 last is too frequently unaffected by any means which 

 science has hitherto discovered. In bone-spavin the 

 horse comes out of the stable stiff, but after a little 

 while the action becomes freer ; he may be a little lame 

 at first, but when warm he grows almost sound. The 

 horse suffering from occult-spavin comes out lame, and 

 becomes more lame every step he takes. The lame- 

 ness is excessive — it is always present ; the animal 

 continuously rests the limb, and exerts himself to cast 

 no weight upon it. These peculiarities distinguish the 

 two diseases ; which resemble each other only in the 

 circumstance, that during either the horse does not 

 raise the leg freely, but scrapes or strikes the toe 

 against the ground. The two, however, are well 

 separated by the one being accompanied by a bony 

 enlargement, and the other exhibiting nothing of the 

 kind ; and also by the lameness in the one instance be- 

 ing generally relieved by treatment, while in the other 

 case the evil too often remains unaffected, however ener- 

 getic may be the means employed for its removal. 



In occult-spavin, there being ulceration and loss of 

 substance upon the internal surfaces of the lower bonejs 

 of the hock joint, we cannot hope to heal the lesion, 

 which is deeply seated, and far beyond our reach. 

 Ulceration, however, is the result of chronic inflamma- 

 tion ; therefore, could we so aggravate the disease as 



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