286 
VETERINARY JURISPRUDENCE. 
sider it possible that ossification might take place, and perfect itself, 
within a month. 
Mr. Truckle —I do not say it is impossible. 
Mr. Norris —Is not the lateral cartilage that part of the foot which 
springs from the heel and passes round towards the foot, serving some¬ 
what as a tight bandage to keep the coffin hone in its place? 
Mr. Truckle —Not at all. It is situated on the superior and lateral 
parts of the coffin bone. It expands when weight is thrown upon the 
leg, and tends to ward off concussion. Ossification is a transformation 
of cartilage into bone. 
Mr. Norris —When you examined this mare did you find that the 
cartilage had actually turned into bone? 
Mr. Truclile —Yes. There might, perhaps, be a quarter of an inch at the 
extreme edge not completely ossified. It did not yield to the touch. Ossi¬ 
fications never become regenerated or restored to their natural condition. 
Mr. Norris —If you were to find that the cartilage of this mare is not 
completely bone at this time, what would you say ? 
Mr. Truckle —I am sure I should find it bone. No man could ever 
make me believe it to be cartilage. Ossification is not likely to be pro¬ 
duced by any sudden straining or action of the joint. It would doubt¬ 
less be an exciting cause. There may be ossification without inflamma¬ 
tion of the pericondrium. What Blaine describes as exostosis is not the 
same thing. Exostosis is a morbid growth of bone from bone. It is 
altogether a different thing from conversion of cartilage into bone. 
Horses that are always ridden are most likely to have ossification of the 
cartilage. I should not think it would be produced by a blow on the 
cartilage from the groom. A sufficiently hard blow would produce in¬ 
flammation of the perichondrium, and the result might, or might not 
be, ossification. 1 have heard that 99 out of every 100 dray horses in 
London are subject to this disease, but I do not believe it. I did not 
put a tape round the mare’s feet—the contraction was visible enough to 
the eye. 
Mr. Norris —And once a contracted foot, I suppose always a con¬ 
tracted foot ? 
Mr, Truckle —The feet may be pared down to match—there is so 
much dodging in these cases (laughter). 
Re-examined—Mr. Norris would not allow us to inspect the mare 
this morning, to see if bone has come back to cartilage (laughter). 
Ossification does not, of necessity, produce lameness. A horse suffering 
from ossification may not go lame for years. If only used on soft ground 
probably it would never be lame. A horse with high action is most 
liable to have ossification. 
Mr. Thomas Aubrey —I am a member of the Royal College of Vete¬ 
rinary Surgeons. I examined this mare, in company with Mr. Truckle, 
on the 21st of January. What Mr. Truckle has stated is correct. As a 
rule, ossification is a disease of very slow progress. It may, or may not, 
be preceded by inflammation. The transformation generally begins at 
the lower part of the foot, out of sight. Within the last three years 
nine or ten cases of ossification have come under my notice, and al¬ 
though some of them have being going on at least two years, not one 
of the cases is so bad as that of Mr. Hussey’s mare. As to the navicular 
disease, my opinion is that it was of some standing, and for this reason 
—both feet were contracted, and it is not often that both feet are dis¬ 
eased at the same time. The disease generally affects one foot, and then 
the other. Contraction of a horse’s foot is a slow process. It is the 
effect of lameness, not the cause. 
