ON IDIOPATHIC DISEASE OF THE TENDONS. 521 
that, for about eighteen months previous to his death, had been 
subject to intermittent lameness. Whenever he had a little quick 
work, he was invariably a cripple for some days afterwards. The 
increased heat and sensibility of the parts posterior and a little 
above the fetlock, indicated that the seat of lameness was in the 
theca. His dying of an acute attack of pleuro-pneumonitis 
gave me an opportunity of examining the limb. In the theca 
formed by the flexor perforatus I found several little tendinous 
shreds or fibres, which evidently owed their origin to the formation 
of a very extensive cavity that existed in the body of the tendo 
perforans. Some were floating about in the synovia, which was 
much altered in quality, being considerably darker than usual, and 
streaked with blood; while others were adherent to some false 
membranes that had been formed. 
Along with some synovia, and a great number of tendinous 
shreds, the excavation in the tendon contained a quantity of 
lymph. The surface of the tendon itself was very vascular; in 
fact, both the tendon and the theca containing it shewed the 
most evident traces of often-repeated and long-continued inflam¬ 
matory action. The carpal portion of the same tendon also had 
a cavity formed in it; but there were no signs of either it, or the 
theca in which it was placed, having at any time suffered from 
inflammation. 
It becomes a question,—Which was the first affected, the 
tendo perforans or the theca of the perforatus? Taking into 
consideration that the carpal portion of the tendon was also dis¬ 
eased, I should say, the tendo perforans. 
Although the shreds may not have been the immediate cause 
of the inflamed state of the theca, yet the inflammation being 
once set up, their presence must have led to its continuance. 
Although some may consider this lesion, from the comparative 
rarity of its occurrence, as a matter of very little importance, yet, 
as a pathological fact, it deserves to be placed among the records 
of our art. Contributions, however trivial, to that too long neg¬ 
lected branch of science, pathological anatomy, cannot be other¬ 
wise than interesting. 
