678 
ON THE DISEASES OF THE HOCK. 
tirely free from lameness, and being much wanted, was soon 
afterwards put to work. Her lameness again gradually increased, 
but she was worked on for about two months (until she could 
be spared), having a stimulating liniment occasionally rubbed 
into the hock. She was now taken out of work, fired, blistered, 
and turned out to grass, where she continued for six or seven 
weeks. At the end of this period, the mare was taken up, and 
on being trotted out in hand appeared very nearly free from 
lameness; a very slight difference only could be perceived in 
the action of the hind legs. On being put into harness, she 
kicked violently, and became nearly as lame as ever. The hock 
feeling warm, was ordered to be kept wet and cold for the 
space of a week, when the mare appeared as well as when she 
came up from grass. The mare was now put to slow work in a 
waggon, and being unused to heavy draughts, she strained her 
near shoulder severely, and became very lame. Bleeding, blis¬ 
tering, &c. removed this lameness, and after some time she was 
worked in a coach. Here this unlucky animal had not continued 
above three weeks, when her lameness before appeared to re¬ 
turn. Her shoulder was again blistered, and she got better, but 
not well. Observing her point her toe on my going into the 
stable, I was led to believe that she had the navicular joint 
disease in her near fore foot, which, after death, was found to be 
the case. She had, however, a good foot, with no tendency to 
contraction, and no unusual heat or swelling. Her hock all this 
time got no worse; but as she appeared to have chronic disease 
both before and behind, she was sent to plough, where she con¬ 
tinued till her death in October last. On examining the hock, 
considerable ulceration was observed on the ridge of the tibia 
before mentioned; the cartilage on its summit was quite removed, 
and the bone exposed, with a red line bordering the ulcerated 
surface. Disease similar in its kind, though less in degree, was 
found on the corresponding depression in the astragalus, and 
slight exostosis on the cuneiform bones, but not interfering with 
any joint, or likely to have occasioned any lameness. 
The preparations Nos. 1 and 2 merely shew that the part I 
have mentioned is subject to disease, in common with other parts 
of the hock. From No. 3, I learn that considerable ulceration 
may exist in this articulation, with only a small enlargement 
further down: but No. 4 teaches that this part is liable to in¬ 
flammation and ulceration, occasioning pain and lameness, inde¬ 
pendent of any structural impairment elsewhere; for in this case, 
I separated all the other bones of the hock, and could not dis¬ 
cover the slightest appearance of disease amongst them. 
From an examination of the foregoing cases, I think I am 
justified in drawing the following conclusions:— 
