SHE WARD v. WITH AM. 
169 
morning. He was lame in both feet before, but mostly in the 
near foot: the lameness behind he thought was in the hip. He 
was in a most neglected state, with bad thrushes, attended by 
sloughing. It was a very filthy place; the litter had been 
long lying there : it was accumulated dung, and likely to in- 
crease the inflammation. He saw him again on January the 
12th ; the shoes had then been removed, the frogs pared out, and 
the lameness before was rather better; but it remained the same 
behind. The feet were contracted. Contraction does not usually 
come on of a sudden — it is an effect, and not a cause of inflam- 
mation. 
Cross-examined. — Contraction proves that there has been 
previous inflammation. The lameness behind he considers to be 
seated at the junction of the hip with the spine. It must have 
existed sometime, on account of the wasting of the muscles. It 
is impossible for him to tell the precise time — it might have ex- 
isted from April. It probably had existed from the time of the 
journey to Baldock, although it might not then have been seen : 
in this case it might be difficult to perceive lameness behind. 
Some feet are narrower than others, and yet the horses continue 
sound. The probability of lameness depends on the weight of the 
horse, and from that or from his action the degree of jar of the 
foot. 
Mr. Turner y V.S . — Examined this horse with Mr. Spooner. 
He was lame in the near hind leg. The muscles of that leg 
were evidently wasted. His lameness might very possibly have 
arisen from a sprain. This absorption of the muscles is a slow 
process : he should think that it had taken several months to 
produce this absorption ; this however depends a great deal upon 
the pain of the part and the use of the limb. He did not see 
any indication of disease about the hip-joint, but there was de- 
cided enlargement of the hock. The lameness in the near fore-foot 
was from contraction. The injury behind, by means of general 
inflammation, might produce lameness before, and this might 
be much increased by the travelling. A horse with a naturally 
small foot may continue during life without becoming lame — 
a contracted foot is a frequent cause of lameness. Thrush is 
the consequence of inflammation of the foot. The stable in 
which he found this horse would aggravate the disease. The 
thrushes in the feet of this horse were evidently neglected 
ones. 
Cross-examined.- — Contraction is a work of time — the con- 
tracted state of these feet must have taken some months to pro- 
duce. He cannot possibly say how long it might or might not 
have existed. It might have existed previous to April. It is 
just possible that it may have come on since April; but he 
VOL. X. z 
