258 
VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY. 
February the 4 th, 1829. 
THE subject for discussion was Mr. Henderson’s valuable papei 
on Splent, which we have been enabled to present to our readers. 
It was the unanimous opinion of the meeting that there was 
an essential difference between the node and the splent: the one 
was from accident, the other the result of a specific disease. 
Mr. Millington (an honorary member) gave a very satisfactory 
account of the cause and progress of the node, and corresponding 
with that which Mr. H. had quoted from Sir Astley Cooper. The 
suppuration was often imperfect, and a spongy bony tumour re¬ 
mained. 
Mr. Goodwin gave an anatomical description of the formatior 
of splent. It was an ossification of the cartilaginous ligamen¬ 
tous, interosseous substance between the larger and smallei 
metacarpals, not visible to the eye as pure splent, and only recog-[ 
nised when the ossification spread on the larger metacarpal. 1 
never suppurated; and if every horse was to be condemned thai 
had a splent, few sound horses would be found. 
Mr. Henderson observed, that it was the situation of tin 
splent which could alone be connected with soundness, and tha 
the farther back it was among the tendons the greater was the 
danger of lameness. 
Mr. Goodwin could imagine that horses might be lame during 
the formation of the splent, and while the periosteum was pain¬ 
fully stretching; but the tumour being perfect, and the mem 
brane having accommodated itself to the enlargement, he hac 
rarely seen the slightest lameness. 
Mr. Lythe knew a case in which the horse continued lame, anc 
he believed from splent. 
Mr. King was rather sceptical as to the extension of the tumou 
among the ligaments so as to produce lameness; at all events 
there could be no adhesion between the theca of the tendon anc 
the osseous deposit. 
Mr. Henderson had examined many cases in which the tumou 
ran posteriorly, but no adhesion had taken place, yet he believec 
that lameness frequently attended the commencement of splent. 
Mr. Mavor had seen the tumour so extend to the superior head 
of the larger metacarpal, as to interfere with the action of the joint 
He had likewise seen many instances of lameness before the os 
sification was visible. When the tumour could be recognised, the! 
