OBITUARY-MR. JOHN FJELD. 
897 
lished in the Calcutta Journal, in 1819, speaks of lamenesses 
in which the flexor tendon was now and then observed to have 
been broken, either partially or entirely, but more commonly to 
have been bruised and inflamed in its course under the navicular 
or shuttle-bone, or at its insertion into the bone of the foot.’’ He 
says, that sometimes the navicular bone itself has been found 
to have been fractured ; at others, its surface has been seen de¬ 
prived of its usual coating, and studded with projections or riders 
of new growth, or exhibiting superficial lesions more or less exten¬ 
sive.” This, although Messrs. Morecroft and Field called it by a 
wrong and somewhat incorrect name, ‘‘ the coffin-joint lameness,” 
was, in fact, the navicular-joint lameness of Mr. Turner: but 
although Mr. Field was aware of this frequent disease, we owe 
to Mr. Turner the first public demonstration and proof of it. 
Mr. Field’s straightforward method of practice, although it 
occasionally made him enemies, abundantly increased the already 
extensive business of Mr. Morecroft. It likewise founded and 
established, to an extent to which no practitioner had before en¬ 
joyed it, that portion of a veterinary surgeon’s duty which consists 
in the examination of horses for purchase or sale. Here Mr. 
Field’s practice had no parallel in his day, or at any former time. 
It has been said that he was in the habit of leaning moie to 
the buyer than the seller ; that he was not content with deciding 
on the mere abstract soundness of the horse ; but that he often 
gave an opinion of the general character and capability of the 
animal. It may be so, and we confess that .we are not very 
much inclined to blame him for this ; for he was, and all practi¬ 
tioners are, feed by tlie purchaser. The discrimination and tact 
of the surgeon are temporarily bought as a defence against the 
horse-knowledge, and sometimes the imposition, of the seller. 
The purchaser is usually as incapable of appreciating the general 
qualities of the horse, and his fitness for a certain purpose, as he 
is of deciding on his soundness or unsoundness; and we are 
much mistaken if his application to the veterinarian does not, 
in his mind, embrace the general character of the horse as well 
as his abstract soundness. If Mr. Field has been supposed, and 
perhaps truly, to have leaned a little too much to the side of the 
purchaser, the time at which he commenced his practice should 
be taken into the account. Every kind of imposition was then 
attempted to be practised on the purchaser; and tricks which 
few horse-dealers would now disgrace themselves by adopting, 
were in common use in every yard. Mr. Field observed this, 
and was indignant at it; hence arose his leaning towards the 
purchaser j and to no man are we so much indebted for the dis¬ 
continuance of many an infamous fraud. The public, however, 
VOL. VI. 3 E 
