ON THE NAVICULAR DISEASE. If) 



animated machine than a pea would cover, or tlie 

 decayed part of a hollow tooth would exhibit. This 

 destructive malady has, on a late occasion, been 

 emphatically expressed, " The curse upon good 

 horseflesh." 



I have dissected all the groggy feet that I have 

 been able to collect, and have found the navicular 

 joint diseased in every instance. 



Description of the Diseased Joint. 



This joint is formed by the navicular bone and 

 the flexor tendon, where the tendon articulates with 

 the bone, being a circumscribed cavity, which is 

 abundantly supplied with synovia, or joint oil, to 

 lubricate and prevent friction between the internal 

 polished surface of the tendon and the smooth car- 

 tilao^e coverino: the navicular bone. 



The advanced stasfe of the disease is a total de- 

 struction of the joint, and which is so completely 

 disorganized, that it can no longer act as a joint. 

 There is not a drop of synovia to be found in it. 

 The cartilag-e coverins; the navicular bone next the 

 tendon is either entirely absorbed, or else in a com- 

 plete state of ulceration ; and the corresponding 

 surface of the flexor tendon, which was before as 

 smooth as the hio;hest polish, has now become Description of 



® _ ^ , , the diseased 



rouo:h, and the delicate and sensitive membrane J°'"t- 

 lining it, abraded ; and inmost cases of long dura- 

 tion there is a strong adhesion of the tendon to the 



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