REVIEWS. 
571 
mation extends from this cartilago- 
ligamentous substance to the liga- 
ments and bones of the hock, and 
terminates there in the effusion of 
bony matter ; or if the exostosis of 
the inner metatarsal bone itself is 
so placed as to disturb the motions 
of this joint, then does a spavin differ 
essentially from a splint. To eluci- 
date this point still farther : if the 
exostosis, instead of making its ap- 
pearance just beneath the hock, is 
seated about the body or lower ex- 
tremity of the cannon, it constitutes 
a splint of the hind leg ; a disease, 
however, of but rare occurrence, 
owing to the bony deposit commonly 
appearing at that part where inflam- 
mation is first excited. Although a 
spavin, at the commencement, may 
be confined to the metatarsal bones, 
it seldom happens that those of the 
hock do not ultimately partake of the 
disease; and this will account for 
the various degrees of lameness and 
stiffness observable in that joint : 
indeed, we have little doubt but the 
external parts, the vascular lining of 
the joint, become eventually diseased ; 
so that the synovia is unnatural 
either in quantity or quality, or, per- 
haps, both, to which is chiefly refer- 
rible the explanation of the fact, of 
spavined horses improving in their 
action during work. In almost all 
cases of inveterate spavin, the cunei- 
form bones are united together by a 
layer of ossific matter, extending 
upwards from the inside of the large 
and inner small metatarsals ; so that 
there is no longer any motion what- 
ever between the small bones of the 
hock and those of the leg : very com- 
monly, also, the same sort of union 
renders the os calcis, as well as the 
os cuboides, fixed in their places.’ 
“ Mr. Goodwin, well known to the 
veterinary world as an eminent prac- 
titioner and valuable writer, considers 
the seat of spavin to be * in the syno- 
vial membrane that covers the cunei- 
form bones :* it is here also, Mr. G. 
conceives, that spavin generally com- 
mences. With every deference to 
this gentleman’s opinion, is this view 
also not too limited ? And does not 
every day’s experience disprove its 
being confined to this situation, or of 
its commencement from such an 
origin in the majority of cases ? Mr. 
Goodwin has done the profession at 
large much service by his researches 
on this subject ; and there is little 
reason to doubt that many, nay most 
of the cases of tarsal lameness, with- 
out much enlargement of the hock , and 
which from thence are calculated to 
deceive, and become attributed to 
strains and affections in the c round 
bond or c stifle ,’ are derived from this 
source. ‘ This disease of the syno- 
vial membrane of the cuneiform 
bones,’ it is observed, c had not been 
named by any one : it had been con- 
founded with exostosis, because 
exostosis was an occasional conse- 
quence of it. Mr. G.’s opinion was 
that spavin did not commence with 
an enlargement of the hock, but with 
lameness, from inflammation and 
ulceration of the synovial membrane. 
Exostosis was a subsequent affair. 
Common spavin, however, was, in 
the commencement, an exostosis. 
Over-exertion had produced inflam- 
mation in the substance between the 
metatarsals, and had packed the 
bones together : over-exertion was 
likewise the probable cause of the 
inflammation of the synovial mem- 
brane of the cuneiform bones.’ 
“If future researches should prove 
the frequent existence of these cases, 
to derive from the discovery all the 
benefit the art may expect, it would 
be much better not to confound it 
with the farriers’ ‘ bone-spavin .’ Such 
a view would greatly mystify the 
pathology of occult hock lamenesses, 
where spavin is always supposed to 
show itself in the form of exostosis ; 
and without which not only is spavin 
disallowed, but also lameness itself 
denied a station without it, and a 
hunt made for it elsewhere. Mr. 
Youatt’s observations on this subject 
( Veterinarian , vol. iii) are in unison 
with this view, and merit much at- 
tention. To add to the varied seats 
of spavin, it has been asserted to be 
particularly frequent on the surfaces 
of the prominent ridge of the tibia 
and the corresponding furrow of the 
astragalus : but one or two cases do 
