126 
SOUNDNESS AND UNSOUNDNESS. 
United Kingdom, notwithstanding that the two opinions 
may be in direct opposition. 
I would ask the question. Will Nature allow us to lay 
down laws for her on this particular point as we would for a 
piece of machinery? It is true that we receive and adopt 
certain rules with regard to the age of animals, based upon 
changes undergone by the teeth, but every man of expe- 
rience knows that these appearances are often fallacious, and 
he has to rely upon other indications in order to come to 
a correct decision.. If disputed cases of “age” were decided 
by books instead of by professional experience, the decisions 
would be far more likely to be wrong than right, although 
we possess in our libraries two very complete works on the 
age of animals, namely, Mayhew on the 4 Horse’s Mouth/ 
and Professor Simonds’ w 7 ork on the ‘Age of the Ox, Sheep, 
and Pig.’ 
Defects, which are now generally recognised as “Un- 
soundness” are nicely described on paper, and the profession 
at large is told that such and such stages of disease are 
henceforth to be considered as “ Soundness.” Who is to 
decide whether the appearances on a living subject exceed, 
or come within, the law laid down ? Let us take, for 
instance, the “incipient corn” described by Mr. Hawthorn. 
If it is not to be considered an unsoundness— Who is able 
to draw the line of demarcation? It would remain still a 
matter of opinion, and twenty veterinary surgeons would 
take one view 7 , and tw r enty more would be as likely to take 
the other, whereas now it is generally understood that a corn 
is an unsoundness ; and it w ould be wrong to blame any of 
the men above mentioned for their conflicting evidence, for 
most probably it would be their conscientious opinion. 
In this I am borne out by my late and much lamented 
friend, Mr. Percivall, who in the December number for 
1849, says: “In mathematical science, certain data cor- 
rectly worked out lead to certain results. But in medicine 
the very data we have to work upon are apt to prove 
fallacious. The existence of disease cannot be determined 
by weight or measure ; signs and symptoms alone must 
determine its seat and character; and it will depend upon 
the discernment, and ability, and experience of the doctor 
to wdiat extent, from such telegraphic indications, its nature 
and tendency is developed.” 
I do not advance this view of the case with any idea of 
throwing “ cold water” upon a laudable endeavour to 
improve the profession, for such no doubt is the object 
desired to be attained, but merely as a warning to prevent 
