SPAVIN. 
723 
Frick, who lived for a long time in the mountainous parts of Schleswig, 
states that, with the exception of being rather “ leggy,” the horses there 
are well shaped. Nevertheless it very often happened that when worked 
the animals developed acute lameness, with swelling, heat, and pain on 
the inner side of the hock-joint. The lameness was similar to that of 
well-marked spavin. Cold local affusions and rest removed the symptoms 
in three to four days, but very soon after, enlargement of the inner side 
of the hock and lameness reappeared and the existence of “ spavin ” 
could no longer be overlooked. 
Frick, therefore, regards strains as playing the chief part in the 
causation of spavin. The formation and function of the hock naturally 
favour injuries of the kind, and Frick, after careful study, is convinced 
of the truth of this view. As in every other form of strain, the anatomical 
lesions may vary, and it is this variation in clinical appearances which 
has caused different observers to formulate such widely differing views 
as to the exact nature of spavin. 
The above is very far from exactly explaining the pathology of spavin ; 
much further investigation is required to make it completely clear. The 
propagation of new theories, however, does just as little for science as 
the recommendation of new cures for practice. What is needed, above 
everything, is a clear insight into the physiology of movement. Such 
an investigation should not be confined to considering single sections of 
the limb, like the hock, but should take cognisance of the action of the 
limb as a whole. Though by no means a light task, it would well 
repay study, and we hope that in the near future some one will be found 
to undertake it. 
Pathology. Although no agreement has yet been reached as to the 
initial lesion of spavin, the views regarding its pathology are more in 
accord. Anatomy and physiology here play the chief part. The 
peculiar fact that the disease affects the inner side of the hock has 
always attracted attention, and has given rise to much speculation. 
Peters sought an explanation in the anatomical formation of the parts. 
As the connection between the tibia and astragalus consists of a gingly- 
moid, or, more correctly speaking, a screw-like, joint, in which the power¬ 
ful lateral ligaments limit both abduction and adduction, and only allow 
of movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the body, one 
would expect that the axis of the joint would be perpendicular to that of 
the body. This is not the case, however; the (horizontal) axis of the 
joint lies obliquely to it, and,, starting from the inner side, runs back¬ 
wards and outwards. As a consequence, the two tibiae are not perpendi¬ 
cular, but converge from above downwards, whilst the metatarsal bones 
of the two limbs are parallel with each other when the limbs are in their 
normal position. It therefore results that the power does not act 
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