ON COFFIN-JOINT LAMENESS. 
623 
this operation, had been imputed to re-union of the divided ends 
of the nerve, when it had been merely cut across; but one case 
had occurred in which certain appearances in a substance occu¬ 
pying* the space between the cut ends of a nerve, from which a 
short portion of the body of the nerve itself had actually been 
cut away, excited a suspicion that this new growth conve 
nervous influence. 
I shall not stop to examine how far this suspicion was in con¬ 
sonance with the results of former experiments instituted by phy¬ 
siologists to determine the question of the reproduction of ner¬ 
vous function in the line from which a portion of nerve had been 
extracted, but shall merely observe, that it induced me to attempt 
to bring the matter to issue by farther trials ; for, as it appeared 
that lameness was generally diminished, and sometimes alto¬ 
gether removed, by lessening or destroying sensibility in the 
pained parts, through interrupting* or cutting* off* their communi¬ 
cation with the brain by dividing one nerve, it became de¬ 
sirable to ascertain in what manner the lameness and functions 
of the foot would be affected by diminishing* sensibility still far¬ 
ther, through dividing both nerves. The cases of rupture of the 
flexor tendon, or of the navicular bone, are very frequent, in pro¬ 
portion to bruise and inflammation of the tendon, as has been 
before remarked. Seldom, indeed, are the component parts of 
the joint soldered together by inflammation so as not to admit 
of motion ; and by process of time, as I have often seen in dis¬ 
secting the feet of old post-horses with coffin-joint lameness, 
and compelled to work, an adaptation of the surfaces of the 
bone and tendon take place, which affords strong reason to be¬ 
lieve there would seldom occur any insuperable mechanical 
hindrance to the free movements of the joints, or any lameness, 
could the pain be removed. 
The two nerves, in going to the foot, appear to give off 
branches in an equal proportion during their whole course be¬ 
low the fetlock; but as these branches cannot be traced into 
the tendon, it is not possible to say whether its sensibility be 
supplied by one or by both trunks. Hence it is uncertain 
which trunk should be divided, generally ; or whether, from limi¬ 
tation of injury to a part, or diffusion of inflammation to the 
whole of the joint, it be advisable sometimes to divide one 
nerve, and at others both nerves. But if it should happen that 
the division of both nerves should completely remove the pain, 
and exercise restore the original facility and latitude of motion 
to the joint, and that, by degrees, the sensibility should be 
reproduced, so far as might be necessary for the complete per¬ 
formance of all the functions of the foot and limb, a new and 
