3.0 
VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY, Dec. 24, 1828. 
WE have been enabled, by the kindness of Mr. Turner, to present 
our readers with the substance of his excellent paper on Navicu¬ 
lar Lameness. The discussion which followed was almost solely 
confined to the consideration of Mr. Turner’s claim to the disco¬ 
very of the navicular disease. Mr. Field maintained, that his 
father, and old Mr. Moorcroft, had, so early as 1794, been per¬ 
fectly aware of its existence, and had been in the habit of point¬ 
ing it out to their friends ; and that it was from a consideration of 
the nature of this disease, and the difficulty or impossibility of 
cure, that they had had recourse to the operation of neurotomy. 
The coffin lameness, as it was then called, was familiar to every 
practitioner; and Jeremiah Brydges, seventy years ago, accurately 
described its symptoms and causes. 
Mr. Turner replied, that although the disease might have been 
known to Mr. Field, the profession generally was ignorant of it; 
and that Mr. Coleman, who was likewise aware of its existence, 
regarded it as a malady of very rare occurrence. It was now, 
however, recognised as the prevalent and usual cause of groggy 
and chronic lameness. At all events, let it be known more or 
less, he was the first person who had directed the attention of the 
public to it. 
This was the prevailing feeling of the members. 
A few practitioners might have recognised the disease; but with 
Mr. Turner rested the credit of bringing it before the public, and 
demonstrating the frequency of its occurrence, and its almost in¬ 
variable connexion with chronic lameness. 
Previous business having occupied the time of the Society, and 
the hour of nine having nearly arrived, the discussion on the na¬ 
ture of the disease was postponed until a future meeting; when 
Mr. Turner promised another paper on the symptoms and treat¬ 
ment of the navicular disease. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
In reply to two of our Correspondents, we state our belief, that the first 
volume of Mr. VV. Percivall’s Lectures is completely out of print. We 
have reason, however, to hope, that the anatomical portion ot his excellent 
work will soon be republished in an improved form ; and that the physiolo¬ 
gical and pathological divisions will speedily follow. 
Mr. Sp alding’s Case of Lumbar Abscess in our next. 
Our Correspondents will have the kindness to direct their communica¬ 
tions (post paid), on or before the 20th ot every month, to the Editors, No. 3, 
Nassau Street, Middlesex Hospital, London. 
