ON THE NAVICULAR DISEASE. 3 



aiitlior had reverted to it, from the very foundation 

 of the Veterinary College, down to the period at 

 which my paper on the subject was sent to that in- 

 stitution ; and in which interval of time, Professor 

 Coleman and Mr. Bracy Clark had immortalized 

 themselves by their luminous works on the foot of 

 the horse. 



In attempting to elucidate the nature of the navi- Contraction. 

 cular disease, together with its causes, I find it ne- 

 cessary to class contraction of the hoof under two Two forms of. 

 heads : the one I would designate as general con- 

 traction ; the other I must presume to call occult or 

 partial contraction. By the former, I mean a foot 

 with narrow heels, its figure presenting rather more 

 an oblono; than a circular shape, with a "eneral di- '^'>'' seiH'-ai or 



. . . apparent. 



minution of its size and capacity. 



By the latter, occult or partial contraction, I ad- tho occult or 



•^ ' ^ ^ ' partial. 



vert to that treacherous kind of foot frequently to be 

 met with, which upon merely inspecting in the 

 stable, without viewing the action of the animal, we 

 might (without any disparagement to our judg- 

 ment) be induced to pronounce a good fair average 

 foot ; and yet upon trotting the horse ten yards, al- 

 though possessed of sound, clean legs, he might 

 prove himself a decided cripple, ^vogigry, and in-i"'''''"":."i\- 



r rr 5 & OO^" tureof tlnsdis- 



curably lame. 



My own experience in the treatment of chronic 

 foot lameness, since the year 1816, has afforded 

 me opportunities of watching the causes, symptoms, 



B 2 



east". 



