WEST OF SCOTLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 427 
that it would be desirable for Professor Dick to offer a few 
remarks on ^Soundness and Unsoundness/and leave the trans¬ 
action of the general business to the end of the meeting. 
This being agreed to, 
The Professor said that he had no paper prepared on the 
subject, but he would take the cases discussed at the two 
previous meetings of the association for his text. In the 
first place, he observed, we should, when examining horses 
for soundness, be alwavs guided by the law of the land. 
He then asked, What is a sound horse? Is a horse sound 
that is capable of performing his ordinary work? He may 
be able to do this with a curb or a spavin; or even a 
blind horse may be able to do it, or a horse having a splint, 
which, from its size and position or seat, many would consider 
sound. Still, in the abstract, it is a wrong opinion. Any 
alteration in the natural structures constitutes unsoundness, 
and a horse is only sound when there exists no abnormal 
alteration of any of these structures. But in examining 
horses we are also to judge from certain appearances, and 
to give our opinion, saying that it is our professional opinion 
that the horse will not go lame, say from that splint, or 
any other inconsiderable enlargement which may exist; nei¬ 
ther will it interfere with his action or usefulness. But if 
you go to law, the case is altogether different. The judge 
looks not to whether the animal is capable of performing his 
work or not, but his judgment is regulated by the evidence 
which shows whether there is any abnormal alteration of 
structure or not. 
Windgalls it has been said are not to be regarded as con¬ 
stituting unsoundness, as they may not produce lameness. 
Nature throws out an extra effusion of synovia to lubricate 
the parts and prevent lameness, and, consequently, unsound¬ 
ness ; and unless the bursae be distended to that extent which 
shows that there is some degree of friction going on within 
the joint, the horse is to be considered as sound. 
With regard to the other cases which had been noticed, 
he could only repeat what he had said before, which was to 
the effect that the opinion given of any defects observed at 
the time of examination must depend as to whether they 
were likely to prove injurious to the animal or not. 
The President proposed a vote of thanks to the pro¬ 
fessor, for his kindness in coming from Edinburgh to attend 
the meeting, and said the only way in which they could 
recompense him was to elect him an honorary member of 
the society, which was unanimously agreed to. The Pro¬ 
fessor thanked the members for the honour they had done 
