469 
THE HAND—ITS MECHANISM^ &C. 
Suppose that the head of the lesser metacarpal bone a enters 
into the composition of the joint; it does not appear that, by its 
yielding when the foot is upon the ground, the bones of the 
carpus can descend as long as they are sustained by the greater 
metacarpal or cannon bone. I do not, therefore, conceive that 
this bone can add to the elasticity of the foot. But when we 
perceive that the head of the splint bone is behind the centre of 
motion in the joint, it is obvious that it must be more pressed 
upon in the bent condition of the joint, when the foot is elevated, 
and that then the bone must descend. If the splint bone be 
depressed when the limb is raised and bent, and have a power 
of recoiling (which it certainly has), it must aid in throwing out 
the leg into the straight position, and assist the extensor muscles 
of the knee. Further, we can readily believe that when the 
elasticity of these splint bones is lost, by ossification uniting 
them firmly to the cannon bone, the want of such a piece of 
mechanism, essential to the quick extension of the foot, will 
make the horse apt to come down.” 
For the benefit of non-professional readers we have given a 
sketch with the pen of the bones of the fore arm, the better to 
explain Sir C. Bell’s theory. The medical practitioner, on com¬ 
paring it with the hand of the human subject, will see that in 
the horse’s leg the five bones of the first digital phalanx are 
consolidated into the large pastern bone ,* those of the second 
phalanx into the lesser pastern; and those of the last phalanx 
into the coffin bone. 
We are prevented by want of space from discussing this new 
theory of Sir Charles Bell’s; in a future number of The Ve¬ 
terinarian we shall endeavour to explain his error: in the 
meantime the subject is open to our readers, and our pages 
ready to receive their remarks on the subject. 
We are almost ashamed to extract any more from the author’s 
pages, but the subject is one of such general interest, that we 
are tempted to finish our review by his description of the * horse^s 
foot.^ 
‘‘ The horse, a native of extensive plains and steppes, is perfect 
in his structure as adapted to these his natural pasture grounds. 
When brought, however, into subjection, and running on our 
hard roads, his feet suffer from concussion. The value of the 
horse, so often impaired by lameness of the foot, has made that 
part an object of great interest; and I have it from tlie excellent 
Professor of veterinary surgery to say, that he never demon¬ 
strated the anatomy of the horse’s foot without, finding some- 
tliing new to admire. 
The weight and power of the animal require that he should 
VOL. VIII. 3 s 
