02 FOllM AND ACTION. 



THE HOCK. 



The hock — the old and proper spelling of which is hough — of 

 the quadruped is the same as the heel of man; the os calcis being 

 the bone, in both instances, by which the projecting parts, com- 

 monly distinguished by these appellations, is formed : the hock- 

 joint, altogether, being correspondent to our ancle-joint. The joint, 

 either as hock or ancle, is composed of six bones, being a sort of 

 correlative structure to the carpus or knee ; but why so many 

 pieces enter into its composition is not very apparent, either in 

 the instance of knee or hock, wherein, as far as the motion of 

 the joint is concerned, but two appear absolutely requisite. In a 

 situation where so many pieces are placed to receive the jar or 

 shock, and where these pieces are reposing upon elastic cushions, 

 concussion must, no doubt, be very much counter-acted ; to my 

 mind, however, this does not altogether account for the curious 

 mechanism displayed in the instance before us, as well as in some 

 other parts of the skeleton. The lower end of the tibia has two 

 deep furrows or grooves running obliquely across it, and these are 

 fitted with admirable precision to a pulley-like surface presented 

 upwards by the main bone of the hock, the astragalus, upon which 

 the tibia rests ; and between these two bones, the tibia and astra- 

 galus, is carried on almost all the motion of which the hock is capa- 

 ble, they being excellently adapted for the work by the pulley-like 

 articulation just mentioned. Where is the utility, then, of the other 

 five bones'? Whatever uses we may be able to attach to the remain- 

 ing four, the purposes served by one of the five, the os calcis, be- 

 come too obvious to admit of any question. The point of the hock, 

 that lever of more power than any one in the machine besides, 

 through the aid of which the muscles most of all others concerned 

 in progression are enabled to perform their great work, consists of 

 the os calcis ; this of itself being the part, as I observed before, 

 which commonly goes by the name of the hock. When horse- 

 persons talk about horses having " good" or " bad" hocks, they 

 allude, for the most part, to the position and length of this lever. 

 I heard a man, a good judge, say on a race-course on one occasion, 

 " Shew me the horses' hocks, and I will point out the winner." In 



