ON THE NAVICULAR DISEASE. 35 



ing little or no pretensions to breeding, and heavy 



cart horses, which appear exempt from contraction Can horses and 



. . horses of pt'CU- 



throuffh life, resistino; the constramt even of iron I'ar confonna- 



" ~ tion and action, 



and nails. Their escape is owing; to peculiar con- <j'"""*t exempt 



' o 1 troni coutrac- 



formation, not only of foot but of leg, possessing *''"'• 

 large flexor tendons, likewise peculiarity of action, 

 being all flexion with very little extension (going 

 diametrically the reverse of the blood-horse), with 

 their knees up, and flat upon their heels. In fact, 

 they are for ever on their flexors, putting the elastic 

 laminae of the heels and quarters so much upon the 

 stretch, as actually to influence and increase the ob- J^Jpiained?"' 

 liquity of the crust even in front cf the foot : 

 thereby keeping doion the navicular and coflSn 

 bones sufficiently low, in defiance of iron and nails. 

 I may, therefore, almost say, such horses never have 

 navicular disease, except when it occurs from an 

 accidental cause, such as a severe wrench from slip- 

 ping the foot in a hole, or any other sudden external 

 violence. In such occasional cases of lameness, con- 

 traction of the hoof will be the effect of navicular 

 disease instead of the cause. 



Curative Treatment — The means hy which the 

 Coffin and Navicular Bones may regain their 

 original stations, and be retained therein. 



Here, Gentlemen, in my humble opinion, has 

 been the stumbling-block. It is known and ad- 

 mitted that the ancient, as well as modern veteri- 



D 2 



