716 SOUNDNESS. 



extremely chary of giving a certificate of soundness to an animal 

 with "odd" or contracted feet. See page 168. 



Cornea, specks on the. — The cornea (p. 337) is not very in- 

 frequently wounded by accident. The scar is at first of a bluish 

 colour, but subsequently turns white ; a fact which may afford some 

 clue to the length of time that has elapsed since the wound was 

 inflicted. On page 344 we see that the cornea is punctured in the 

 operation for " worm in the eye." The opacities are, only to be 

 regarded as causes of unsoundness when sufficiently large, or 

 when so situated as to interfere with the sight. 



Cracked heels (p. 154). — As regards the question of soundness, it 

 matters little if we are unable to draw a sharp line of distinction 

 between this disease, and " grease ; " for any case of the former 

 which might be classed as one of the latter would be an undoubted 

 unsoundness. Although a slight roughness, or a few scabs at the 

 back of the pastern or pasterns, as the case m.ay be, might be 

 passed over ; still, if the general surface of the skin of the part be 

 inflamed, even without being broken, the horse should b© regarded 

 as unsound; for such a condition is often difficult to remove, and 

 may give rise to a great deal of inconvenience to the affected 

 animal. In old standing cases, the fissures in the skin may 

 apparently heal up all right; but as long as any thickening of 

 the part, or inflsimmation in it, remains, the skin will be apt to 

 become sore again on very slight provocation. If the skin be at 

 all tender, or there exist in it any scars from previous attacks of 

 this inflammation, the ailment will be liable to assume an 

 aggravated form, or to commence anew, as the case may be, if 

 the animal be put to fast work, on account of the skin of the part 

 being subjected to a greater amount of bending, and being more 

 exposed to chill, than when the work was slow. The fibrous tissue 

 which forms the white mark left by a scar, does not possess the 

 same degree of elasticity and suppleness as the uninjured skin. 

 Besides, when the skin is inflamed, it is but poorly supplied with 

 lubricating fluid from the oil glands, and is then ill-calculated to 

 resist the effects of severe and continued bending. 



Crib-hiting (p. 554). 



Cutting (p. 88). 



Eczema. — See "Skin Diseases" (p. 717). 



Feet brittle. — See " Sole, weak'' (p. 717). 



Filled legs from work. — ^If a horse is aged, the fact of his legs 

 being slightly " filled," or a little " worn," should not be sufficient 

 to cause him to be rejected on the score of unsoundness ; provided 

 that it did not in any way diminish his usefulness. To fulfil this 

 requirement, the structures of the limb should show no unnatural 

 heat or tenderness ; the integrity of the tendons and ligaments 



