631 
SOUNDNESS AND UNSOUNDNESS. 
“ Corn ” is a very difficult question. I have heard so much 
about this affection, that I am heartily tired of the word. 
An old gentleman — a good horseman and a sportsman — told 
me he would rather have a broken-winded horse, than one 
with a corn. Another gentleman — some years younger, an 
army man, a good rider, and a forward horseman — said “he 
did not care a dump for corns/’ 
“ Curb.” — A whole volume might be written about this 
disease. As many horses with curbs travel sound as un- 
sound. 
Enlarged Glands , (t parotid.” — How few horses are free 
from this. At page 71, it is written : — There is scarcely a 
malady to which the horse is subject which is not hereditary. 
The next subject I will refer to is Splent. — Oliphant states, 
page 83, — “ it entirely depends on the situation of the bony 
tumour on the inside of the shank-bone, whether a splint is 
to be considered an unsoundness.” With reference to splent 
or splint, I know of no disease to which the horse is liable so 
frequently met with as this. A great many horses are examined 
by me in the course of the year, and but few are free from 
splent of some growth. This, then, is one of the diseases 
which should meet with most especial consideration. 
Since writing the above, a gentleman has consulted me 
upon a case of Sjplent. It seems that he purchased a horse 
from a horsedealing veterinary surgeon who warranted him 
perfectly sound four days ago. Yesterday the horse was 
observed to be very lame. This day the dealer examined 
him, pronounced him lame from splent, and prescribed a 
lotion and a few days’ rest, which has certainly caused the 
purchaser to feel mortified. This case leads one to the con- 
clusion that however sound a horse is at the time of purchase, 
no person can tell how long he will remain so. My own 
impression is that, a hoo'se to be sound should have no disease 
whatever about him in any shape or form. If a splent, spavin, 
ringbone, curb, or any other affection be present, at the time 
of purchase, that animal is, to all intents and purposes — un- 
sound. The opinion of the veterinary surgeon can be taken 
as to the probability of lameness, or any other disease 
interfering with the usefulness of the animal in question. 
This case also shows how undesirable it is for veterinary 
surgeons to be horse-dealers. 
Cataract , “ spurious.” — I have known horses rejected for 
small specks upon the transparent cornea ; others with a 
speck upon the corner of the lens, when it was certain that 
the usefulness of these animals was in no way interfered with, 
and from appearances it was not probable it ever would. 
