CHAP. I.] ELBOW AND STIFLE CAT-HAMMED. 49 



Reader, 

 10. So far as the foregoing observations on the 

 fore legs apply, they do belong, in every parti- 

 cular, and with equal reason, to the hind legs 

 also ; with the exception, however, of what is said 

 concerning the elbow of the fore leg, and its adhe- 

 sion to the chest, for which we must now substitute 

 the stifle of the hind leg [N. 30] ; and add, instead 

 of the kind of defect described as being occa- 

 sioned by the contraction of the part, it is here 

 owing to the expansion or spreading of the stifle 

 from the sides. This throws the houghs together, 

 and forms " cat-hammed horses," as they are 

 termed ; the mode of going such animals are con- 

 strained to adopt, the circle their hind feet describe 

 at every step they take, the additional fatigue 

 they undergo, the awkwardness of their tread, 

 and the consequent diseases communicated to the 

 sole, lately described (in sec. 6.) as pertaining to 

 the fore limb, — most undoubtedly afflict the hind 

 limb also, with the additional fact, that this one is 

 more liable to " grease." At rest, if an animal 

 so built does not place one foot before the other, 

 his houghs not unfrequently touch each other, — 

 poneys and low horses more particularly so ; and 

 it seems worthy of remark, that this species of mal- 

 conformation never appears on the fore and hind 

 legs of the same animal. Indeed, w r e cannot recol- 

 lect having seen one instance, and we are thence 

 led to conclude that this twist of the legs is a 

 contrivance of Nature to accommodate itself to 



D 



