NAVICULAR DISEASE IN THE FEET OF HORSES. 
QO 
at the posterior parts of the foot, partly by conciliatory pleasures, 
as well as by some coercive means united, such as will induce 
the animal to stand again on his heels and back sinews, instead 
of his toes and extensor tendons, I cannot with consistency pierce 
a deep hole through the horny and sensible frog, the very organ, 
of all, I am most anxious for the animal voluntarily to recline his 
weight upon during the progress of cure. 
Remarks. 
In the advanced stage of navicular disease, or grogginess in the 
fore feet, attended with considerable lameness, the symptoms are 
usually so strongly marked that it would be almost impossible 
for two able veterinarians to disagree in determining on the seat 
of disease; and therefore I cannot bring my mind to admit the 
expediency of along detail upon a subject, which is familiar to all 
horsemen of every grade* provided they have been accustomed to 
the several varieties of horses. 
The symptoms of the precursory or disease antecedent to navi¬ 
cular lameness, I have attempted to point out, although, I fear, 
with tedious precision. 
But with regard to the diagnosis of incipient navicular disease, 
on further reflection, I most fullyj concur with our Veterinary 
Societv in its importance, and the necessity there is for some 
practical rules being laid down, by which we may with confidence 
pronounce on the existence or non-existence of thisJozVtf disease ; 
but yet I cannot persuade myself that I can represent on paper 
the rules which have hitherto been my guide. Experience, how¬ 
ever, has enabled me to decide on these cases with confidence, 
having devoted myself more particularly to foot lamenesses than 
to other diseases. 
As we cannot have navicular lameness without inflammation of 
some part of the joint, which may be seated in the synovial mem¬ 
brane, or in the tendon forming the exterior of the joint, it may 
be as well to advert to the known symptoms of inflammation : 
First, increased redness; secondly, swelling; thirdly, pain; 
’ fourthly, increased heat. Now let us see how these tour great 
lights conduct us to the navicular joint. 
The first of these characteristics, viz, redness, avails us nothing 
the surrounding parts being covered with hair. The second, 
swelluig, is seldom manifest in these cases, the inflamed parts 
being inclosed by the hoof. Third, pain, although indicated by 
lameness to be seated in some part of the limb, still our patient's 
tongue is no guide to us within a yard of the spot. Fourth and 
last, heat: this is too often fallacious; horses, like ourselves, are 
naturally subject both to hot and to cold feet when in health ; and , 
vol. hi. r 
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