130 
SPAVIN. 
account for it. The limb had been searched over and over again 
by myself and some other veterinary surgeons, and the mare had 
been trotted and walked, circled and backed, and put to all 
other known trials and tests, without the examinations ending in 
any thing like concurrent opinions respecting either the seat or 
the nature of her lameness. The mare returned home, marching 
with the troops, led by a man on horseback — for notwithstanding 
her lameness she walked very well — and as soon as she arrived 
at head quarters (Woolwich), I shewed her to my father, at the 
time the Senior Veterinary Surgeon of the Ordnance Department. 
He examined her, and without hesitation pronounced her “ lame 
in the hock,” and she was treated accordingly; and the result 
was, at no great distance of time, her complete restoration to 
soundness. 
It is true, so far as the case above related goes, that the only proof 
the mare’s lameness was in the hock, was her restoration to soundness 
after the application of remedies to that joint. There is, however, 
to be said, in addition, to induce us to believe that it was so, that of all 
the joints of the hind limb, no one is so frequently — so li kely to be 
— deranged as the hock; and, consequently, from this fact alone, is a 
prima facie case made out. Moreover, we have to assist us, in 
our diagnosis, the stiff or imperfect flexion of the hock joint in action, 
and the wearing away of the toe of the shoe, shewing that the heel 
is rarely or but very gingerly put to the ground. And it has hap- 
pened before now, that while doubt is impending as to the locality 
and nature of the lameness, a spavin has made its appearance and 
dissipated all further conjecture ; and with this development of the 
spavin, the lameness, so far from being augmented, is not unlikely 
to become better. This is an observation made so long ago as the 
time of Solleysell : this admirable observer, in one part of his chap- 
ter on spavins, says — “ at their first piercing they commonly always 
make a horse halt, and afterwards, the swelling growing bigger, 
the horse halteth no more with it*.” 
ON METACARPITTS. 
By W. A. Cherry, V.S. 
The following observations on a disease of the existence of 
which I have been acquainted for some years, are founded on data 
furnished by nearly or quite a hundred specimens of the disease 
* Op. cit. part i, chap, xvi, page 60. 
