THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. XXXI, 
No. 364. 
APRIL, 1858. 
Fourth Series, 
No. 40. 
Communications and Cases. 
ON SOUNDNESS AND UNSOUNDNESS OF HORSES. 
By R. PftiTCHARD, M.R.C.V.S., Wolverhampton. 
To the Members of the Veterinary Profession . 
Gentlemen, — Considerable desire has been expressed 
through the pages of the Veterinarian for the last twelve 
months, to revive a discussion upon the soundness and 
unsoundness of horses; and I quite agree with the several 
writers, that it is necessary — indeed, that it is high time — a 
better understanding was come to by the veterinary profession 
as to what infirmities are to be considered as constituting 
unsoundness. 
The late Mr. Wm. Percivall, it will be remembered, 
introduced a paper upon this subject to the Veterinary Medi- 
cal Society in 1829, which was freely discussed by the prin- 
cipal members of the profession, practising in and near 
London. No doubt much benefit would have arisen out 
of that discussion, but for the strong feeling of contentious- 
ness which prevailed, and an endeavour to excel in know- 
ledge and judgment, upon the various pathological questions 
introduced ; thus what might have proved of the greatest use, 
produced very little, if any, good. Since that time the matter 
has received comparatively but little attention, the great 
difference of opinion exhibited on the occasion to which I 
have referred, appearing to give a check to all further 
attempts to form a code of rules as a standard of veterinary 
jurisprudence. 
It is much to be regretted that the then Professors of the 
College did not at once commence zealously to teach the 
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