SPAVIN. 
127 
ations — for the horse being so much lamer at some times than at 
others. Secondarily, lameness may be produced, in chronic in- 
veterate spavin more particularly, by inability to flex and extend 
the hock as usual, owing to some increase or alteration in the 
joint oil, or else in consequence of partial anchylosis. Indeed, 
lameness may vary in degree from what is called “ stiffness” in 
action to downright halting or hopping. In general, the lameness 
bears no proportionate intensity to the magnitude of the spavin : 
a horse may have a large exostosis on the spavin place, and yet 
not evince lameness ; on the other hand, a horse may be extremely 
lame, and yet only “ a knob” be discoverable in the seat of spavin. 
Ordinarily, the lameness arising from spavin not being such as to 
incapacitate the horse, and being behind instead of before, he is 
kept at work with it when he ought to be laid up. Most likely he 
goes quite limpingly when first he leaves his stable in the morning, 
but, after having gone awhile and got warm, his lameness shews 
itself less and less, until at last he goes all but or quite sound ; 
the explanation of which appears to be, that any redundance or 
incrassation of the synovial fluid the morbid condition of the hock 
may have caused, is by action, by repeated flexion and extension, 
temporarily removed ; and the motion which from that cause, or 
from partial anchylosis, at first was stiff and painful, becomes by 
degrees comparatively facile and painless. In a case, however, 
where there exists much inflammation of the tissues, or in that 
form of disease in which ulceration or caries is present, exercise, so 
far from benefitting the animal, makes his lameness worse. 
My own observation has led me to note two kinds of lameness 
in spavin : — one, the effect of the ordinary sub-acute, or of chronic 
inflammation, or of partial anchylosis of the parts, is but com- 
paratively slight, and consists, for the most part, in stiffness on 
motion, or in defective flexile power of the hock joint; the other, 
the effect of acute inflammation of the spavined parts, or else of 
ulceration of the joints, consists in a sort of spasmodic catching-up 
of the spavined limb the moment the heel of the foot comes down 
upon the ground, something after the manner of stringhalt ; and 
this may not infrequently be observed even in the horse’s side 
movement in his stall. With such characteristic lameness as this 
latter, and with spavin present as well, evidently hot and tender 
to pressure, there can exist no doubt about the case. Where, 
however, the lameness is but slight, although a spavin be present, 
yet from the absence of any heat or tenderness in the swelling, as 
well as from its duration, may doubt arise as to the cause of the 
lameness. In such a case as this we should take advantage of the 
well-known fact of the fluctuating or evanescent character of 
spavin lameness; to which end it is advisable to have the horse 
