NOTE BY MR. SPOONER. 31d 



contraction, and especially if there is heat about the foot, the 

 operation is dangerous. There is, probably, ulceration of the 

 membrane — ^possibly, decay of the bone ; and the addition a* 

 friction to which the parts would be subjected, by the freer ao 

 tion of the horse, the sense of pain being removed, would caus« 

 that tdceration or decay to proceed more rapidly until the fool 

 would be completely disorganized, or the tendon would be gradu- 

 ally worn through by rubbing against the roughened surface of 

 the bone.* 



* Note by Mr. Spooner. — Navicular-joint disease is one of the most fre 

 quent lamenesses by which the horse is afflicted, and one of the most insidi- 

 ous and incurable. It sometimes comes on suddenly from a sudden jar or 

 strain, and then the lameness is often very severe, and there is no contraction 

 previous to the lameness, although aftarwards, from the pointing of the foot, 

 and the consequent absence of the usual weight upon it, contraction is sure 

 to follow; more frequently, however, this disease is gradual in its approach, 

 the horse points previous"to the lameness, and, if the foot is attentively exam- 

 ined, contraction iu some degree will be discovered. Thus the sy nptoms 

 are Lameness, Pointing, and Contraction, each of which demands separate 

 consideration, in order that we may understand the true nature of this very 

 deceptive disease, and the more so as it has not been treated at much length 

 in the text 



TJie Lameness. — The degree of lameness in navicular disease admits of a 

 variety of shades. In some cases we find it manifested the first hundred 

 yards only; iu some it may continue for a mile or two and then go oflf; in 

 others, again, it may continue throughout a journey, but not so severely as at 

 first. This circumstance is common to some other lamenesses, but not so 

 uniformly the case as in navicular disease. So important a symptom is it 

 Ihat, on ascertaining its existence, it of itself leads us strongly to suspect the 

 nature of the lameness. It is customary to say of a groggy horse, " Oh I he 

 will go sound enough when he gets a little warm." This peculiarity, wiiich 

 is common>to jnany lamenesses, but more particularly to the navicular dis- 

 ease, is ascribed to the attention of the liorse being called away from the in- 

 jured part : this in a great measure is the case, but we must add that, in the 

 disease in question, the secretion of synovia becomes increased by exercise, 

 and the horse is enabled so to dispose his weight as to rest but very lightly 

 on the injm'ed joint. In some cases the lameness is so slight that the utmost 

 tact of the practitioner is required to detect it : or the horse may show it on 

 the stones and go sound on gravel . Should the horse be slightly lame in 

 both feet the difficulty is still greater, and he may go a long time in this state 

 before the owner thinks him actually lame. When both feet are thus 

 equally" affected, however, the action of the horse becomes altered in propor- 

 tion to the extent of mischief; he no longer bends the knee with the same 

 freedom as before, his action becomes shorter, the heels of the foot scarcely 

 touch the ground, and the shoe will.exhibit the toe almost worn away, whilst 

 the heels continue undiminished in thickness. These circumstances, whether 

 one leg or both be affected, will at all times materially assist our diagnosis. 

 After the disease has existed in both feet for a considerable period, the horse 

 brings his hind-legs under his body, and makes them sustain the greater 

 part of his weight, and in the stable he almost constantly Ues down. 



Pointing. — We should be cautious of giving an opinion of the cause of 

 lameness until we have seen the horse in the stable, where, if there be any 

 doubt of the mutter, wc should leave hihi for a while undisturbed. In many 



