86 



WHAT DISEASES CONSTITUTE UNSOUNDNESS OR VICE. 



Held to be 

 unsound. 



work (u). The "navicular disease " is an unsoundness, and 

 is incurable (x). 

 Nerved horse. A horse on whom the operation of nerving has been per- 

 formed may be improved, may cease to be lame, may go 

 well for many years ; but there is no certainty of his con- 

 tinuing to do so, and he is unsound (y). 



This was decided in the following case, soon after 

 neurotomy had been first introduced by veterinary surgeons. 

 An action was brought on the warranty of a horse which 

 had been nerved. Several eminent farriers were called, who 

 stated that the operation of nerving consisted in the division 

 of a nerve leading from the foot up the leg ; that it was 

 usually performed in order to relieve the horse from the 

 pain arising from a disease in the foot, the nerve cut being 

 the vehicle of sensation from the foot ; that the disease in 

 the foot would not be affected by the operation, and would 

 go on increasing or not, according to its character ; that 

 horses previously lame from the pain of such a disease 

 would, when nerved, frequently go free from lameness, and 

 continue so for years ; that the operation had been found 

 successful in cavalry regiments, and horses so operated on 

 had been for years employed in active service ; but that in 

 their opinion a horse that had been nerved, whether by 

 accident or design, was unsound, and could not be safely 

 trusted for any severe work, and that it was an organic 

 defect (s). 



It appeared that the horse in question had not exhibited 

 any lameness. But Chief Justice Best told the jury, " that 

 it was difficult to say that a horse ia which there was an 

 organic defect could be considered sound ; that soimd meant 

 perfect, and a horse deprived of an useful nerve was imper- 

 fect, and had not that capacity of service which is stipulated 

 for in a warranty." And the jury returned a verdict for 

 the plaiatiff («) . 



The most frequent disease of the nose is an increased and 

 thickened discharge from it. It may properly be called a 

 nasal gleet. There is a continued and often a profuse dis- 

 charge of the fluid secreted to lubricate the membrane 

 Uning the nose, when every symptom of catarrh and fever 

 has passed away, and an almost incredible quantity of 



Nose, chronic 

 discharge. 



(«() Bywater v. Richardson, 1 A. 

 & E. 508. 



(x) Matthews v. Parker, Gloucester 

 Spring Assizes, April 8th, 1847, cor. 



Maule, J. 



(y) Lib. U. K. " ThelHorse," 364. 

 (2) Best V. Osborne, E. & M. 290. 

 [a) Ibid. 



