650 
DISEASE OE OSSEOUS TISSUE IN THE HORSE. 
16 per cent, of albuminous compounds and 4^ of oil may be 
taken as the average proportion of these constituents. I 
have never found less than 65 of ash, often 7 to 7*2 per cent. 
You will perceive that the composition of bran differs from 
that of every other grain. Being very rich in nitrogen and 
in phosphates, bran when given in excess to horses is apt to 
produce intestinal concretions.” 
It will be seen by reference to the answer to question No. 
12, page 576, that lime was not abundant in the locality where 
the disease had taken place. Also by question No. 11, that 
the w ater the horses drank was very soft; and likewise, on re¬ 
ferring to the above extract from Headland, that lime is defi¬ 
cient in wheat, and that, according to Liebig, to render bread 
made from it wholesome, it should be made with lime-water. 
If this be the case, we might be led to believe that the food 
and water these horses partook of w 7 ere unwholesome from 
being deficient in lime ; but whether or not this took any 
share in causing the disease in question, I am not prepared 
to say. 
In some of the bones, the morbid change that had taken 
place would admit of the term “ osteoporosis” being applied 
to it, wdiich, according to Rokitansky (see vol. iii, page 171), 
consists in an enlargement of the Haversian canals, and the 
cells of bone.” And he further says, “ this state may result 
from excessive development of the medulla of the bone, or 
of the tissues which occupy its canals and cells, while, at the 
same time, the actual quantity of bony substance remains 
unaltered. By rarefication of its tissues, the bone becomes 
increased in volume and expanded ; the walls of the Haversian 
canals become thinner and thinner, till at length apertures 
are found in the interior of the bone, as well as on its outer¬ 
most lamellae, and the cavities communicate w r ith one 
another. The expanded bone is soft, coarsely porous, and 
spongy, and more or less so in proportion to the degree of 
the disease. It yields to the pressure of the finger, and 
may be easily cut with a knife. Its cavities are filled with 
a large quantity of dark-red, or reddish-brow 7 n medulla, 
traversed by dilated vessels, and contains here and there 
loose or firm clots of extravasated blood.” Further on the 
same author says, “ Osteoporosis sometimes affects a bone in 
its w 7 hole thickness, and the disease may have commenced in 
its interior, in the medullary cavity, or diploetic substance, 
or at the exterior, or at all of these parts at once.” 
I subjoin an analysis by Ragsky, of a bone thus affected, 
taken from a middle-aged man : 
