xlviii 



INTEODUCTIOX. 



we come, however, to draw a line between soundness and 

 lameness in their distinguished form — to mark the point 

 at which one ends and the other begins — we meet a diffi- 

 culty, and this difficulty increases when we find ourselves 

 called on to include, under our denomination of unsound- 

 ness, that which is likely or ha& a tendency to bring forth 

 lameness. It will be requisite, therefore, for us to say, 

 not simply that every lame horse is unsound, but to add 

 these words, or who has that about him which is likely on 

 work to render Mm lame. This wiU, it is true, open the 

 door to difl'erence of opinion and equivocation. There 

 may, as we have seen, spring up two opinions concerning 

 the presence even of lameness. There will in more cases 

 be two opinions concerning that which is accounted to 

 be the precursor of lameness, or may have a tendency at 

 some period proximate or remote to produce it ; all which 

 differences are best got rid of by reference to the ablest 

 veterinary advice. There will be less diversity of opinion 

 among professional men than among others, and the more 

 skilful and respectable the professional persons are, the 

 greater will be the probability of a happy unison in their 

 views of the case " (a). 

 Conflicting Mr. Godwin, M.R.C.S., Veterinary Surgeon to the 



to'soundness! Queen, makes the following sensible remarks on the 

 certificates given by veterinary surgeons to the vendors 

 and purchasers of horses. He says, " It is to be re- 

 gretted that the members of the veterinary profession 

 have not been taught to adopt some rules for rendering 

 the certificates they are required to give upon examining 

 horses as to soundness, at least somewhat similar in the 

 construction and expression of their opinions, so as to 

 render them more intelligible to the persons who have to 

 pay for them. I am quite aware of the impossibility of 

 attempting to reduce professional opinions to one common 

 standard ; but I think that our leading practitioners might 

 meet together, and agree upon some general principles fir 



(«) T/ie Veterinarian, vol. xyiii. p. 366. 



