AmTOMlCAL DISCOVERIES. 219 
pulpous substance of these nerves were us red as wine-lees. This 
specimen is deposited in the museum. 
From study of the anatomical structure of the soft and 
indolent 3pfi)urs that have their seat on the poll of the horse, 
and the development of which appears to be owing to the pres¬ 
sure and friction of the head-stall in that lesion, it results, 
1. That these swellings are never owing to dilatation of the 
synovial capsules of the occipito-atloidean joint. 
2. That they are always composed of subcutaneous or inter¬ 
muscular cysts, the fibrous texture of which, sometimes simple 
and sometimes diverticulated, either contains a yellow viscid 
liquid, or no morbid product. 
3. That the straight and complex muscles oftenest undergo a 
lardaceous transformation, which either simply borders upon or 
traverses these pouches. 
4. Finally, that the substance of the cervical ligament, always 
more or less injured, is sometimes destroyed through a very con¬ 
siderable portion of its extent. 
A great number of dissections have also apprised us that the 
greater part of the synovial tumours, whether articular or ten¬ 
dinous, are not always attributable, as has been generally be¬ 
lieved, to a simple distention of these membranes, but oftener to 
their rupture ; without which, besides, it would be very difficult 
to explain either the sudden appearance of these tumours, or the 
enormous bulk which they sometimes acquire in a very little 
time. 
Amonor the tumours of this kind, which we have oftenest had 
occasion to observe, and of which no mention is made in any of 
the veterinary annals, are— 
1 . Simple dilatation, or with rupture of the external synovial 
capsule of the femoro-tibial articulation, at the point where this 
membrane prolongs itself to line the tendon common to the ante¬ 
rior extensor of the foot, and the flexor of the metatarsus. 
2. That dilatation not less remarkable with the synovial mem¬ 
brane of the articulation of the second and third phalange, 
at the point at which this membrane corresponds with the inter¬ 
mediate space between the anterior and posterior ligaments — 
dilatations most frequent and of most considerable size in the fore 
