SCOTTISH METROPOLITAN VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY. 163 
it? But leaving this subject, let us turn to an important matter 
of practice, viz. : 
Lameness . — The detection of lameness is our every day duty ; its 
importance cannot be over-rated. Without being a good judge of 
lameness one has little chance, more especially in town practice, of 
success. This was the sphere (as has often been remarked) in which 
Professor Dick excelled. Early dissatisfied with the various theories 
put forth, he proceeded to investigate and ultimately to prove that 
these theories, though elaborate and plausible, were erroneous, and 
has left us such a knowledge of the true nature, seats, and causes of 
lameness, as we and others have good reason to be thankful for. 
And allow me in passing, gentlemen, to remark that I believe Pro- 
fessor Dick will always be remembered as the “Great Simplifier” 
(if I may so speak) not only of the methods of detecting lameness, 
but of many other branches of veterinary pathology. 
I think, therefore, I may safely say that generally speaking we 
are well up in the matter of lameness. Now and then a case may 
puzzle us, but for the most part we can tell at once where a horse is 
lame, and do what we know' to be best for him. If we can’t always 
cure, we can at least tell what is wrong and advise accordingly. We 
know the various seats of lameness and may infer the cause. To 
“examine the foot always” has been the rule taught us, a rule the 
best of us cannot afford to dispense with. To diseases of the feet 
much attention has been paid — the nature, symptoms, and treat- 
ment of acute and chronic laminitis explained, its causes pointed 
out, and people taught to avoid them. Quittors, sandcracks, corns, 
canker, foul in the feet, and such like, are not now so common, and 
when they do occur we know what to do with them. All this is 
gratifying. Let us turn to the other side of the picture. Shoeing 
we say is the most common cause of lameness. Are we as yet per- 
fect in shoeing ? From the time horse shoes were invented they 
have been changing in shape and form, and even within the last 
twelve months some have been found preferring the “good-enough” 
to the “common” shoe, some upholding the French system, while 
with others the india-rubber pad was to be a solution for all errors 
past and present. These facts alone, I think, are sufficient to show 
us that we have even yet much to learn as to shoeing. 
Bad cases of lameness also often trouble us. Incipient disease 
shows itself in some of the joints or tendons, and too often, in spite 
of the common course of fomentations and counter-irritants, becomes 
confirmed, the horse continues lame, it may be permanently so. 
Can no other means be tried with such' cases? Would more severe 
measures at first, longer and entire rest afterwards, be efficacious or 
practicable? Again, when rheumatic fever prevails as an epizootic 
among cattle, when joint-ill attacks young stock, our practice is not 
altogether satisfactory. What do we know of rheumatism in the 
horse? Why does it follow attacks of influenza or chest diseases? 
What determines its seat to the tissues around the sesamoid bones ? 
How and why does it shift from one leg to another? are questions 
to which still I fear we can return but very indefinite answers. 
