238 DISEASES OF BONE. 



5tli. A bony deposit involving the cannon and splint bones with 

 those of the knee, with which they articulate. This bony union 

 usually occurs between the head of the internal splint bone and 

 the lower surface of the small bone (the trapezoides) of the knee, 

 with which it forms a joint. 



These divisions refer particularly to splints on the fore legs : a 

 limitation which I shall, further on, try to remedy by making 

 some remarks about splints on the hind legs. 



I venture to suggest the following classification of splints as 

 being more rational than the one just given: — 



(«) Local splint, which is limited to one spot, and which does 

 not involve the bones of the knee. 



(5) Diffuse sijlint, as in Figs. 79 and 82. 



(c) Splint close to the hiee (Fig. 77), or hiee splint. 



GKAVITY OF SPLINT AS REGARDS VARIETY OF HORSE. 



— A splint on the leg of a heavy cart-horse is not so objectionable 

 as one on that of an animal employed at fast work, and, especially, 

 at trotting; for concussion is the chief factor in aggravating the 

 pain and lameness of splint. Owing to their unnaturally high 

 action and the nature of their work, hackneys suffer far more 

 from splint lameness, than hunters, chasers, and flat-race horses. 



OCCURRENCE OF SPLINT ON INSIDE RATHER THAN ON OUT- 

 SIDE OF LEG. — The fact that splints appear more frequently on the inside 

 than on the outside of the fore leg, is usually accounted for by the nature of 

 the conformation of the bones of the fors extremity, in that the internal 

 articulating- surfaces of the long and short pastern bones are larger, and are, 

 consequently, more suited to bear weight than the external ones. The con- 

 sideration of the shape of the foot — the inner quarter of the hoof being moie 

 upright than the outer — and the fact that " corns " are much more commonly 

 found on the inside than the outside heel, also strengthen the supposition that 

 more weight is thrown on the inside than on the outside of the leg. Provision 

 being, however, made for this by the articulating surfaces of the former being 

 larger than those of the latter, as far as the fetlock and pastern bones are 

 concerned ; I think we must look for some other explanation for the fact of 

 splints occurring more frequently on the inside than on the outside of the leg. 

 A much more feasible one, as given by Merche, is afforded us by the manner 

 in which the lower bones of the knee articulate with the splint bones. On 

 the outside, a small knee bone (the unciform) bears its weight on the out- 

 side splint bone and also on the cannon bone ; but the inside small knee bone 

 (the trapezoides) rests almost entirely on the inside splint bone. Consequently, 

 the interosseous ligament which binds the inside splint bone and the cannon 

 bone together, would, in the event of the leg sustaining a violent shock, be 

 more likely to become sprained, than that of the outside splint bone. 



AGE AS AFFECTING SPLINTS.— Young horses (five years old 

 and under) are most liable to splints; for splints being usually 

 a result of sprain of the interosseous ligament which connects the 

 splint bone to the cannon bone, they are naturally much more 



