ON HOCK LAMENESS. 
m 
the veterinary public, having in the meantime fully assured him- 
self that, in 99 cases out of 100, obscure lameness of the hock 
had its seat between the tibia and astragalus. I should not have 
made any observation on his papers, but Mr. S. calls on the pro- 
fession to acknowledge or deny the existence of a disease which 
sportsmen and amateurs are now fully aware of: and he fearing 
veterinary surgeons may appear ignorant of the fact to their dis- 
advantage, I venture to offer a few remarks on the subject. 
The honour of interesting discoveries in the science to which 
we belong is highly gratifying to all who can lay claim to them, 
nor shall any be more forward than myself in subscribing to the 
palm ; but we must not be too hasty in drawing positive conclu- 
sions, lest we mislead our friends and retard our professional 
improvement. The several cases that have occurred in Mr. 
Spooner’s practice, of a diseased condition of the joint formed by 
the tibia and astragalus, are only proofs of the liability of the 
membrane and articular cartilage of that joint to similar lesions 
with those structures in other articulations ; but my own experi- 
ence tells me that he has much over-rated the frequency of its 
occurrence. A mere mechanic may pass over the structure of the 
cuneiform bones to that of the astragalus and tibia, and in his opi- 
nion have more plausible reasons to conclude, from the extent of 
movement between them, that they were the most likely to be 
injured ; but I should not follow him, for I am well aware that 
concussion is a greater scource of injury to the internal surfaces 
of joints, than attrition: the greater the extent and freedom of 
action in an articulation, the less must be the concussion. 
I grant that the most extensive action in the hock is between 
the tibia and astragalus ; but there is an ample synovial secretion 
by which contact and consequent friction are efficiently pre- 
vented. 
Viewing the cuneiform articulations, I observe limited move- 
ment and liability to concussion and contusion, and this com- 
monly aided and facilitated by the improper adjustment of the 
tread by shoeing, the jar and ligamentous stress being more than 
they can endure in their normal state. 
In February 1830, Mr. W. J. Goodwin produced a paper 
which was read at the then existing Veterinary Society, in which 
he pointed out a species of hock lameness previously unnoticed 
by the profession. The readers of The Veterinarian will 
recollect that it consisted of an inflammation, followed by ulcera- 
tion, of the synovial membrane and articular cartilages of the cu- 
neiform bones of the tarsus ; and Mr. G. attributed the disease 
called bone-spavin to this particular lesion as its primary seat ; 
and more especially obscure lameness of the hock, lameness evi- 
VOL. x. 3 z 
