PUNCHING OFP SPAVIN. 
56JJ 
PUNCHING OFF SPAVIN. 
By J. Horsburgh, M.R.C.V.S., Dalkeith, N. B. 
Sir, — In old times, when the knowledge of disease was not 
so good as we think it now, there was a disease in the hock- 
joint of the horse then, and I believe yet, called spavin ; at 
least, apart from the scientific appellations of some of our 
learned professors and teachers, who would wish to increase 
their reputation among the ignorant, by terming stringhalt, 
chorea instead, the check spavin, log spavin, diseased enlargement 
of the bursa mucosa, but not unsoundness, Sfc, Spavin is now 
known to be an ossification of the hock-joint, caused by some 
injury to the small bones or ligaments connecting them in 
that joint: nature throwing out a new deposit of bone 
whereby the injury is intended to be madje up in the same 
way as a broken bone is united ; but with this difference, that 
the joint in all cases becomes partially, and sometimes com- 
pletely, fixed. Formerly, it was supposed to be a something 
growing on the joint outside, and if once that something got 
time to creep over the joint the horse would go sound. Hence 
came the most likely means of cure, which no doubt its 
inventor would get credit for, viz., punching it off. For this 
purpose, an instrument was used made of wood, 
the handle about six inches long, the head 
round, and about half an inch thick, into which 
used, these spikes were applied to the part and 
hammered into the joint with a wooden mallet. 
This “ punching off” spavin was frighting 
it away ; no doubt it would have little chance 
of appearing there again with such treat- 
ment. 
When attending the classes in Edinburgh, 
Mr. Dick used to show us the instrument, and 
occupy nearly a lecture in pointing out its 
absurdity. Now, it seems things have taken 
an opposite turn; some person must have 
agreed with Mr. Dick that it was absurd ; that 
it was bad practice, likely to make the cure 
worse than the disease; he has seen some 
entirely new light, and instead of the old spike-headed 
wooden instrument and mallet, he has invented a new 
and more scientific one — the pattern of which he must 
head was fixed about a dozen spikes of iron, 
three fourths of an inch Ions:. On its being 
