563 
SOUNDNESS AND UNSOUNDNESS OF HORSES. 
By G. Bodington, M.R.C.V.S., Cardiff. 
Although much has been written upon this subject, it, 
unfortunately for the profession, still remains an unsettled 
question, as to what is soundness and what is unsoundness ? 
or why is it that such conflicting opinions are given by the 
members of the veterinary profession as to soundness or 
otherwise in their examinations of horses? 
Perhaps a candid inquiry into the cause of the latter will 
in some measure answer the former question ; at all events, 
so far as its legal definition is concerned. As in medicine it 
is, 1 believe, of the first importance to ascertain and remove 
the cause , and afterwards to apply the remedy, so, perhaps, 
here this theory is admissible. 
I am inclined to think that much of the difficulty now 
enveloping this question, has in a great degree been increased 
and extended by veterinary surgeons themselves, and not so 
much by any serious or palpable neglect in the law of war¬ 
ranty. Further, that this state of things has been the 
result, and is attributable to examinations being made, and 
opinions given too prematurely, that is, without due con¬ 
sideration ; to which may be added, too great an anxiety 
manifested for the interest of their employers. A prejudiced 
mind is one of the stumbling-blocks ever in the way of the 
professional man, and unless it is met by timely antagonistic 
determination, it becomes the high road to fatal error. 
Who has not seen the mistakes in judgment that many 
have fallen into, and which afterwards have been freely con¬ 
fessed, by the habit, apparently trifling, but nevertheless 
serious and much to be deprecated act of “nodding the 
head,” when the animal is running and under examination? 
I hesitate not to say that this simple act has prejudiced 
many a mind. Then, is not the very wish, if too eagerly 
pursued, to do the best for our employer in these cases, too apt 
to prejudice the mind? and thereby to render the hand and 
the eye a little too ready to indulge in this same prejudice ? 
And, again, it does unfortunately sometimes happen, how¬ 
ever we could desire it were otherwise, but we must not dis¬ 
guise the fact, that with other causes jealousy will lend the 
helping hand to prejudice. 
If some such deplorable causes as these, with many others 
of the like kind, easily adduced, did not too frequently 
