IG ox TIIK NAVICULAR DISEASE. 



A di-iease ot tliG cataloguc of (iiseascs to wliicli the limbs of 

 qu nt occu'i- liOFses 3.16 liable, not excepting- even the wear and 



reiice. 



tear of sinews. 



It will be recollected that I set out by expressing 



an opinion, that the custom of confining horses by 



the head in the stable for davs and nights too:ether, 



uu^^u^^Z^L ^v^*^ productive of the chronic foot lameness. Al- 



stable a" a'Jro- ^^^ough, as far as I am aware, writers on the foot 



(lil'ease, ^ip-"" havc ouiittcd to remark on this deviation from the 



e^apeci°the''no- natural habits of the animal, yet 1 am inclined to 



ami lecturers, attacli great importance to it, and fearlessly assert 



that it is one of the chief primary causes. 



If I were asked what I thought mainly preserved 

 the horse's hoof, in a state of nature, from contrac- 

 tion, even to old age, I should say, the perpetual 

 motion to which it was subjected by the natural 

 habits of the animal in grazing; by which is pre- 

 served a constant alternate descent and ascent of 

 Foot of the the coffin and navicular bones within the hoof, 



liorse designed ' 



ahnS'perpe- ^^^^^ ^^^^ salutary impression of the superincum- 



tual motion. j^^j^j. ^^^ifrht. 



o 



I shall now attempt to shew in what manner so 

 many contracted feet in daily work escape lameness ; 

 but I am referrino^ to such feet only as are con- 

 tracted, and have been known alvvavs to be Iree 

 from lameness, and they continue to escape until 

 the general contraction becomes accompanied with 

 the partial contraction before described, which, by 

 compiession immediately on the naviculur Joint, 



