VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY. 259 
lameness began to cease. He had chipped off one of these osse- 
lets, and the horse had become sound. 
Mr. Palmer had seen one chipped off, and the horse continued 
lame. 
Mr. Wardle observed, that if a stage coach horse had a splent, 
be frequently hit it, and the consequent inflammation produced 
permanent lameness. He thought that the veterinary surgeon 
ought not only carefully to examine the situation of the spfent, 
but the action of the horse. 
Mr. Goodwin had some specimens in which the ossific inflam¬ 
mation was proceeding to the tendon. 
The discussion was then directed to the proper treatment of 
>plent. Mr. Goodwin alluded to the French method of mediate 
auterizatioji, by interposing a piece of bacon-rind between the 
ron and the skin. They imagined that the fat penetrated into 
<he interstices of the bone, and facilitated its absorption. 
Mr. Youatt explained the principle of this cauterization. The 
at of the bacon-rind would boil, and evaporate only at a very 
ligh temperature, 600 degrees of Fahrenheit; three times nearly 
he heat of boiling water, but only half that of red-hot iron. This 
orecise degree of heat was, by mediate cauterization, applied to 
he part, sufficient to produce intense inflammation, but not to 
blemish. 
It was asked, whether the osseous tumour in ring-bone was of 
he same nature as that of splent? Mr. Henderson remarked, 
hat it was less dense. Mr. King explained this, from its possess- 
ng more numerous vessels. 
Reference was then made to Mr. Sewell’s former plan of eut- 
ing through the periosteum. Mr. King imagined that, if this 
vere done, the bone would exfoliate. 
Mr. Lythe had used the rasp, but thickening of the integu¬ 
ment remained. 
Mr. Henderson once applied the caustic. Thick leg remained 
or two or three years, but at length went down. 
Mr. Lythe had seen spavin chipped off* and turned out like an 
teg- 
Mr. King, after puncturing the periosteum, had applied 
rsenic. Extensive sloughing followed: a thick hock was pro¬ 
ceed, but the horse became sound. 
Mr. Goodwin considered spavin as produced not so much by 
nflammation and ossification between the os calcis and astragalus, 
s inflammation of the synovial membrane of the small bones of 
he hock. 
I Mr. Slocombchad seen a spavin as large as his hat, without the 
| lightest lameness. 
