OPERATIONS ON THE FOOT 118 
moments more the jockey emerged from the weighing-room 
and the next view of the horse was his tearing up the course 
in the preliminary, and “ pulling double.” I was sorry for 
the jockey if he felt as I did at that moment, for if he did 
I fear he and his horse would have parted company at the 
first fence, as I was certain there would be a smash before 
the end of the long and difficult three miles of the Kildare 
Hunt Cup course. It was not until I saw him again in the 
front rank passing the stand, in the first round, that I 
breathed freely, and even then I felt very guilty, and, had 
he come to grief badly, I don’t think I should ever have 
operated on another horse except in such a way as would 
have left unmistakable traces after it. 
‘« The old horse wins !’’ screamed a thousand voices as 
the competitors safely cleared the last bank (now taken 
away for a gorse fence) the last time round, and from 
that moment the operation went up in my estimation a 
hundredfold, and I almost lost all interest in the finish 
(and it was a close one, with my patient a good third), 
resolving I would operate for the future on every animal, 
young and old, which showed symptoms of navicular 
disease. 
‘Neither owner nor jockey knew the horse had been 
operated on, and he was soon after, on the strength of his 
performance, sold for a good price to come to England. It 
is idle to think that all cases are as successful as this was, 
as experience soon told me; but I consider that, in careful 
hands, the advantages well outweigh the disadvantages of 
the operation, and I have selected this instance merely as 
a practical example.’ * 
It is solely with the object of ventilating both sides of 
the question that we quote the last two cases. In our 
opinion, the colours in which the results of the operation 
are there painted are far too rosy. The practitioner who has 
before him the task of satisfying a client as to what will or 
what will not be the results of an operation he has suggested 
will do well to weigh each side of the argument carefully, 
* Veterinary Journal, vol. iii., p. 254 (W. Pallin, M.R.C.V.S.). 
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