108 EXAMINATION OF HORSES 
it be a hernia and you gently grasp it whilst someone 
“coughs ” the horse, you feel it momentarily enlarging ; 
to test for hydrocele you hold a candle in a dark place, 
close to the scrotum, and you find the scrotum semi- 
transparent. 
In passing along the near side of the body you now 
come to the prominent point of the ilium (anterior iliac 
spine), and not unfrequently find some of it fractured. 
When it is whole you can grasp its two ends and feel that 
both points are zz sitz, or you can, on standing square 
‘behind the horse, compare these prominences on each 
side. When this prominence is knocked off it gives the 
horse’s quarter a comely rotund appearance. When it is 
fresh done it sometimes causes lameness for a few days, 
but it rarely does so afterwards,—indeed I never heard of 
it being any detriment in any way beyond giving the 
horse an odd appearance when viewed from behind. 
See that the large glutéal muscles are well-developed 
and are ‘all right, then pass over the front part of the 
thigh occupied by the quadrati muscles down to the 
stifle joint. This is the largest joint in the body, and is 
frequently the seat. of disease, but when it-is so lameness 
results, which prevents our ever having to examine such 
va subject for soundness. The patella has over it a large 
bursa, which sometimes, but rarely, is found enlarged. 
This may be filled with serum and so require a trifling 
operation before being consideredsound. Whilst at this 
part cast another glance at the scrotum, sheath, and 
inside of the thigh, and pass down to éxamine the part 
