AND THE DUTY OF THE VETERINARY SURGEON. 145 
in question ; for, supposing that they had received every instruc- 
tion on medical jurisprudence that could be wished during their 
pupillage, yet it is not likely that, after some years’ practice, they 
would still allow themselves to be tied to the apron-strings of 
their Alma Mater, but would, on the contrary, rather think and 
act for themselves. 
With regard to the trial alluded to, let us endeavour, if we can, 
to account, in some degree, for the variation that appears in the 
certificates of the different practitioners. We will put Mr. 
Sewell’s out of the question, as many of the defects which he 
points out might have got well in the course of three months ; 
but with regard to Messrs. Field and Turner, we find that they 
both agree in one particular, that the horse was unsound. Now 
this is what we all endeavour to look for in examining ahorse — 
some cause of unsoundness ; and this being discovered, we may or may 
not mention other defects that may exist; and it is undoubtedly 
the fact, that the slightest alteration in structure may strike in a 
moment the eye of one practitioner, and escape that of another, 
particularly if the latter has already found sufficient to induce 
him to pronounce the horse unsound. 
Some time since a mare was brought to me to be professionally 
examined, chiefly on account of a thorough-pin on the off' hock. 
This thorough-pin, however, did not interfere with her action, or 
injure her in the slightest degree, and on this account I could 
not pronounce her unsound ; but I could perceive some degree 
of enlargement on the spavin-place of both hocks, particularly on 
the near one, but attended with no lameness whatever. In addi- 
tion to this I discovered decided contraction of the off fore foot, 
accompanied with indisputable pointing. Putting these facts 
together, I did not hesitate to give a certificate of unsoundness, 
and in consequence the seller took her back ; but 1 afterwards 
found that she had been passed by a veterinary surgeon. 
“ There is only one step,” remarked Buonaparte, “ between 
the sublime and the ridiculous and we may with equal truth 
apply the same observation to the terms soundness and unsound- 
ness; for although they differ as much from each other as a nega- 
tive and a positive can do, yet there is but the slightest step actu- 
ally existing between them. And thus I take it there ever will 
be, as there ever has been, a great variation in the opinions of 
practitioners with regard to them. 
To take up a particular case, let us see how it bears on the 
matter in question. An exostosis on the hock, for instance. This 
enlargement may have come on very gradually, and if unattended 
with lameness it is impossible for any one to detect it at the very 
onset. Sometime afterwards its appearance is such as to strike 
VOL. X. U 
