570 
REVIEWS. 
ratio of its structural complexity 
and functional importance. In 
justice both to the ingenious author 
we have quoted from, as well as to 
the reader, who will be profited by 
the matter, we must further intro- 
duce what immediately bears on our 
subject. ‘ If spavin continues to 
increase, the bony deposit first, 
spreads over the lower wedge-bones, 
for these are nearest to its original 
seat. They are capable of slight 
motion, and share in every action of 
the joint, but their principal design 
was to obviate concussion. The 
chief motion of the joint, and that 
compared with which the motion of 
the others is scarcely to be regarded, 
is confined to the tibia and the as- 
tragalus, and therefore, stiffness 
rather than lameness may accompany 
spavin, even when it is beginning to 
affect the small bones of the joint. 
Hence, too, we see the advantage of 
these bones having each its separate 
ligaments and membranes, and con- 
stituting so many joints, since injury 
may happen to some of them without 
the effect being propagated to the 
rest. When the bony deposit con- 
tinues to enlarge, and takes in the 
second layer of bones, the larger 
wedge-bones, and even spreads to 
the cube-bones on the other side, 
even then the lameness may not be 
excessive, because these two are 
joints or parts of the joint, in which 
the motion is small ; but when it ex- 
tends to the union of the tibia and 
the astragalus; when the joint, in 
which is the chief motion of the hock, 
is attacked, the lameness is indeed 
formidable, and the horse becomes 
nearly or quite useless. A recollec- 
tion of the situation of the different 
bones of the hock may, in some 
measure, guide the purchaser as to the 
probable value and use of the spa- 
vined horse ; but he must not depend 
on this, for deep-seated deposits of 
bone, which the eye cannot reach, 
may interfere more with the action of 
the joint than any outward enlarge- 
ment, however great.’ 
“ To pursue my account of the 
opinion entertained on spavin by 
eminent professors of the art, I shall 
the body deposit is fully formed, it 
is in vain to expect its entire absorp- 
tion : even its partial absorption is 
often frustrated ; the removal of 
acute lameness is generally the only 
benefit that can be anticipated. Our 
principal hope lies in preventing the 
increase of the bony deposit, and 
likewise in removing that inflamma- 
tion which is the existing cause of 
much of the pain, stiffness, and tume- 
faction in the surrounding ligaments. 
Our hopes of success must also 
greatly depend on the time the evil 
has existed. When it is early at- 
tended to, that is, before the bony 
deposit has gained its full solidity, 
stimulants act more favorably, and 
lessen it more materially. It remains 
to add, that, when repeated blistering 
fails, the firing-iron generally con- 
cludes the business, but commonly 
answers no further purpose than 
being a publication of the animal’s 
infirmity, and a warning to practi- 
tioners as regards the previous treat- 
ment.” 
next quote Hurtrel d’Arboval, who 
also regards spavin as an exostosis 
that occurs at the superior internal 
and lateral part of the cannon bone 
of the hind leg. It generally occa- 
sions lameness, and is of the nature 
of curb and other exostoses ; and the 
treatment which is employed for 
curbs and exostosis generally is 
equally applicable here. Mr. Perci- 
vall’s excellent definition of spavin 
is, that it is an exostosis ‘ upon or 
near to the inner and lower part of 
the hock. In its origin and progress 
it is very similar to a splint ; indeed, 
it may be, in reality, purely a splint ; 
although from its situation we should 
denominate it a spavin. To explain 
this, a spavin may, and commonly, 
we believe, does arise from an in- 
flammation of the cartilago-liga- 
mentous substance connecting the 
head of the inner small metatarsal to 
that of the cannon bone, without any 
accompanying disease of the bones 
of the hock; and this, terminating 
in ossification, may be a splint as to 
its nature, but is a spavin as to its 
situation. If, however, the inflam- 
