REVIEWS. 
569 
of this joint, then does a spavin 
differ essentially from a splint .’ Mr. 
Youatt also observes on the spread 
of the ossific deposit ; but, as seen, 
he considers the original seat of 
spavin and of splint as the same; 
and he evidently does the same by 
the cause also ; the main truth of 
which cannot be denied : but I would 
beg to remark, that such view is too 
limited both as regards the cause 
and effect, in my own opinion at 
least, nor would I venture to differ 
from such authorities, did the 
matter not appear to be practically 
important. It would appear to me, 
on attentive consideration of the 
subject, that it is not the constant 
pressure on the inner side of the 
bony pedestal that is the principal 
agent in the production of spavin, 
although in splint it may be so con- 
sidered ; because there the tendency 
of this pressure to dislocate the 
inner small metacarpal from the fore 
cannon appears to be in constant 
action, which is manifested by the 
innumerable cases we meet with of 
splint in young horses. On the 
contrary, the circumstance that 
spavin is most common to the mature 
and aged horse is a sufficient proof 
that there must be some essential 
difference between the two affec- 
tions. Spavin appears to me to 
result partially only from this uni- 
form pressure on the inner metatar- 
sal bone, but is principally the con- 
sequence of a continuous series of 
violences produced by inordinate 
efforts in supporting burthens, rapid 
progression, or other extraordinary 
movements : in fact, from exertions 
rendered extreme either by their 
intensity or duration. I would not 
say that splints are the natural 
result of the form of the limb ; but I 
would say, that many young horses 
put out splints from exertions that 
would not produce spavins. The 
extraordinary structural strength of 
the tarsus or hock, and the com- 
plexity of its mechanism, sufficiently 
show that it had much more to per- 
form than the carpus ; consequently 
the range of variety in its diseases 
may be supposed to follow in the 
XXVII. 
does not differ from that of splint, 
except that it is much oftener a 
cause of serious lameness; occurring, 
however, as it commonly does in 
older horses, it also proves more 
obstinate; and the treatment re- 
quired, therefore, should be more 
active. Among the older farriers, 
who, like some of the moderns, 
thought nothing too strong for a 
horse, violent mechanical operations 
were resorted to ; as the mallet and 
chisel to chip it off, boring the ex- 
ostosis with a gimlet, punching it 
with a hot iron, or applying caustics ; 
the first removing it mechanically, 
and the three latter methods de- 
stroying its vitality promoted its ex- 
foliation. As might be expected, 
for one case which succeeded (and 
in some it certainly did succeed), in 
many it increased the lameness, or 
ended in anchylosis, and sometimes 
in death. It is not improbable that 
instruments may yet be devised which 
will operate on these bony enlarge- 
ments without risk ; though the 
chances are fewer in the hock, from 
its connexion with capsular and 
bursal ligaments, than in other parts. 
The treatment pursued by veterina- 
rians of the present day varies some- 
what; those bordering on the old 
school still rub them with some 
violence, and then stimulate them 
with ol : origanum, ol : terebinth : 
& c., &c. Those of later date blister 
and fire. At the Veterinary College 
setons are used, by nipping up the 
integument and pushing a needle 
armed with tape through it, so that 
the seton within the skin exactly 
opposes itself to the spavin. If the 
skin be tender or tumefied, it is 
more proper to make an opening 
above and below the exostosis, and 
to push a blunt seton-needle, or 
eyed probe, from one opening to the 
other, armed with a tape, smeared 
with mild blistering ointment, or 
common turpentine. In this way, 
report says, the College practice has 
proved very successful. Blistering 
we have, however, found, when re- 
peated over and over, commonly 
proved equal to all the benefit these 
obstinate cases can receive ; for when 
74 
