ON COFFIN-JOINT LAMENESS. 
621 
indeed, guided by his feelings, relieves the tendon temporarily, in 
a degree, from pressure and pain, by pushing the foot forwards, 
raising the heel, and throwing a large portion of the weight of 
the fore part of the body on the opposite or sound leg. By this 
expedient, however, the heels of the diseased foot, through not 
being kept in action by the direct pressure of the limb, gradually 
approach each other, and the foot becomes smaller on its outer 
circumference, and narrower and more hollow on its lower sur¬ 
face, whilst the fetlock joint of the opposite leg, distressed by an 
over-proportion of weight, frequently inflames and thickens. 
Foiled in attempts to remove coffin-joint lameness, by re¬ 
moving contraction through mechanical contrivance, modifications 
of temperature, and various actions of medicated applications, I 
was led to consider some less usual modes of diminishing the 
vital activity of the parts injured. 
It was remarked, on dissecting coffin-joints thus diseased, 
that they were surrounded by a much greater proportion of blood¬ 
vessels, and that these were much more distended with blood 
than the same vicinity of coffin-joints uninjured. It was deter¬ 
mined, therefore, to lessen the quantity and force of the blood 
supplied to a diseased coffin-joint by tying at the fetlock-joint 
one of the two arteries that early blood to the foot: for by 
having tied one of the carotid or large arteries of the neck, the 
progress of inflammation of the brain was arrested, and the horse 
recovered: and before I understood the principles on which the 
cure of the spongy sore in the foot, called canker, ought to be 
conducted, l had tied a fetlock artery, in the view of checking 
immediate discharge of fluid, and with beneficial effect. One 
fetlock artery was accordingly- tied in several cases of coffin- 
joint lameness, without any benefit. But as I had, in a single 
instance, tied both the carotids in inflammation of the brain, and 
the horse recovered, and was as useful as before the attack, I 
thought it justifiable to push the principle of diminishing the 
supply of the material of inflammation as far as practicable in 
coffin-joint lameness, by tying both the inner and outer artery 
of the fetlock. In no instance, however, were the horses sub¬ 
jected to this operation benefitted, but, on the contrary, con¬ 
traction of the foot seemed to be hastened thereby, and lameness 
to be proportion ably increased. 
Finding that diminished supply of blood did not counteract 
the mischievous effects of pressure on the inflamed tendon, 1 
turned my thoughts towards subduing its increased sensibility 
by diminishing the proportion of nerve naturally distributed on 
the foot. On this principle, I raised the outer nerve of the fet¬ 
lock joint out of its bed by a bent probe, and cut it across with 
