DISEASES OF THE LATEEAL CARTILAGES 379 



cases of side-bone lameness will be relieved, if not entirely 

 cured, and, should the worst happen, and no alteration 

 in the lameness is noticeable, no harm will have been done 

 to the foot. In this connection, the originator of the treat- 

 ment says : * I may assure those induced to doubt either 

 their diagnosis or the value of hoof section that no harm 

 is done to the foot, even should the operation be of no 

 value. It may do much good ; it cannot do harm. The 

 operation will never succeed until the inherent timidity 

 of sawing or cutting into the wall is overcome. The incisions 

 must he deep, and of the same depth from the coronet to the 

 ground.''* 



It is well to remark here that the operation of hoof section 

 cannot be expected to succeed in every case. The last man 

 in the world to claim that for it would be its originator. 

 Failure to relieve the lameness may be accounted for in 

 a variety of ways. First, of course, will come errors in 

 diagnosis. No one of us is infallible, and the lameness we 

 have judged as resulting from side-bone may arise from 

 another cause. There are, too, complications to be reckoned 

 with, the existence or absence of which cannot always be 

 definitely ascertained. Such are : Eingbone, especially that 

 form of ringbone known as * low ' ; bony deposits on the 

 Ijedal bone, either on its laminal or plantar surface, or even 

 changes in the navicular bursa. 



* Journal of Comj^arative Pathologij and TJierajieittics, vol. iii., 

 p. 313. 



