THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. XX, No. 238. OCTOBER 1847. New Series, No. .70. 
LAMENESS IN HORSES. 
By William Percivall, M.R.C.S . and V.S . 
[Continued from p. 487.] 
Pathology of Navicularthritis. 
WHILE other lamenesses of the foot were plainly traced to their 
seat and had their nature satisfactorily developed, there remained 
one, of which, from its seat lying out of the way of ordinary or 
superficial observation, the pathology continued wrapped in ob- 
scurity, or rather enshrouded in error, the supposition and gene- 
rally received opinion being that it lay in a part with which, as 
has since been demonstrably proved, it had never any connexion. 
What we now recognise as navicularthritis was acknowledged to 
be a foot lameness, and was imagined to be located in the coffin 
joint. Nor was this groundless supposition effaced from the minds 
of veterinarians until Mr. Turner produced irrefragable evidence, 
negative as well as positive, that the navicular bursa or joint, 
and that alone, was the seat of the obscure disease, and the sole 
and exclusive source of the lameness. “The coffin joint is never 
affected,” says Mr. Turner : adding, “ I have dissected all the 
groggy feet I have been able to procure, and have found the 
navicular joint diseased in every instance .” 
It is not difficult to find reasons why this discovery was not 
made prior to the institution of a veterinary college, though it is 
any thing but creditable to such an institution that it remained 
unmade after the anatomy and pathology of the horse was pub- 
licly professed to be taught. Deeply and cunningly buried as the 
navicular joint is within the hoof, surrounded on every side by 
bulwarks of the strongest description, we have no right to marvel 
VOL. xx. 4 c 
