DISEASE OF THE FETLOCK JOINT OF A HORSE. 623 
Sept. 3d . — Not the least sign of improvement during the last 
week. The owner feeling desirous that he should be turned out to 
grass to take his chance, he was accordingly turned out. 
29th . — Still as lame as ever. Mr. Woodger’s opinion was 
sought respecting him. He informed the owner, that, in all proba- 
bility, he would ever remain a lame horse. On hearing this, the 
proprietor resolved upon having him destroyed. 
1 had the lame leg removed at the knee joint, and carefully dis- 
sected it. On removing the common integument and some of the 
cellular membrane from off the side of the fetlock joint, I perceived 
a hole, large enough to admit a pea, having a sinus or communica- 
tion through the limb, between the sesamoids and flexor tendons ; 
through which I could readily pass a silver probe to the integu- 
ment on the other side of the joint. The synovial membrane 
covering the sesamoids was highly inflamed. The whole of the 
synovial membrane between the flexor tendons, where the per- 
forate forms the sheath for the perforans, at the back of the fet- 
lock, was intensely inflamed, and four times its natural thickness. 
In places, between the tendons, lymph was thrown out, whereby 
they had become firmly united together, which would have de- 
stroyed their action of gliding and moving upon each other. Pos- 
terior and inferior to the sesamoids, there was an abnormal bursal 
sac formed, containing a considerable quantity of a dark-coloured 
fluid, which was probably secreted by the diseased membrane. 
The disease had involved, to a lesser or greater degree, the whole 
of the synovial membrane belonging to the fetlock joint. 
To prove that the suspensory ligament was not injured, I care- 
fully examined it, and cut into it in several parts, and found it to 
present the same healthy appearance it would had it been taken 
from a horse that was not lame. In regard to the flexor tendons 
being not injured, I selected different parts of the diseased mem- 
brane, even the most diseased parts of it ; and, having carefully 
dissected it off the tendons, they presented, everywhere, their na- 
tural white, glistening, healthy appearance. In cutting into their 
substance the same normal aspect prevailed. 
I have taken the liberty of forwarding the above for insertion 
in your valuable Journal, as, having been a constant reader of the 
same for many years past, I do not remember reading a similar 
case, and am consequently led to consider it somewhat singular. 
