366 
N A VICUL ARTHRITIS. 
one of the guards forming the escort on the occasion of the Queen 
going to open Parliament in February 1839, suddenly fell limpingly 
lame. His feet were, in appearance, of the healthiest description ; 
naturally rather oblong than circular, but particularly strong, sound, 
and good. The shoe was taken off his lame foot on his return 
home, but nothing was discovered ; and yet the lameness, from the 
action, and the absence of all other apparent cause for it, was sup- 
posed to have its origin in the foot. The shoe was left off, and the 
foot immersed in a cold poultice, and a dose of physic was given. 
In a week, on the shoe being re-nailed on, the horse proved sound, 
and was returned to his work. A month had not passed before 
he was brought back, lame again in the same foot. And as the 
symptoms of navicularthritis had now unequivocally manifested 
themselves, he was subjected to the usual course of treatment for 
such disease. 
Nothing is more common than for certain descriptions of military 
horses, while engaged in charges and other rapid movements upon 
hard and unequal ground, to fall lame in this manner ; and parti- 
cularly for such horses to do so as have failed from navicularthri- 
tic diseases on occasions before. And, in private practice, Mr. 
Spooner, Y. S., Southampton, has recorded (in vol. vi, p. 40-41 of 
The Veterinarian) some cases of the same kind well worthy 
perusal. There is also a case, excellently in point, related by the 
late Mr. Castley, in vol. ii, p.493-4 of the same journal. 
In the ordinary way, however, the lameness arising from navi- 
cularthritis is gradual in its development, insidious and stealthy 
even. At the beginning the horse is imagined by the rider or 
driver to go lame ; while out he fancied his horse now and then 
went gingerly, or dropped upon one foot ; and on his return home, 
with the unpleasant impression upon his mind, examines his leg 
and foot, — perhaps has the shoe taken off. Not making discovery, 
however, of any thing amiss, he begins to console himself that his 
apprehensions were but imaginary ; and, finding his animal the 
next morning in his wonted state of soundness, feels persuaded 
that the affair altogether was but a phantasm : his “ wish,” no 
doubt, being “ father to the thought.” 
The next journey or rapid work the horse performs brings back 
the lameness, and now it assumes more the form of reality, and 
does not pass off so quickly again. Still, give the horse rest, so 
that he can repose his lame foot, and the lameness is likely to pass 
a second time away ; or, at all events, to become so much dimi- 
nished that little or no heed is taken of the little “ favouring” that 
remains, supposing it does not altogether escape observation. In 
this way I have known, even under ordinary carefulness, days 
pass away before the horse was thought to be ailing : under other 
