OBSEKVATIONS ON SOUNDNESS. 
5 
Should the light not be sufficient for your purpose, or 
should there be too much sun for your observations, you may 
take the horse into a dark stable, and carry on your investi¬ 
gation by means of a Jighted candle. Care must be taken 
not to mistake the reflection of the candle for a cataract; 
indeed, much care and some judgment are required in the ex¬ 
plorations in this latter way. I cannot conceive the ophthal¬ 
moscope at all practicable in the hands of veterinarians, as 
our patients do not generally remain quiet enough for the 
use of that instrument. Being satisfied with the eyes, we 
then proceed to the mouth, so as to ascertain the age; to 
see if the incisors are broken or worn ; to view the tongue and 
molars, &c.; then to the face generally ; ear, salivary glands, 
forehead, poll, down the neck, taking cognizance of the jugular 
vein—and it is usual at this stage to cough the horse— 
proceeding onward in course to the shoulder, grasping the 
skin about the point, not forgetting to look well at the mus¬ 
cles of the scapula; and on towards the knee. Searching 
from the knee downwards will require much discrimination: 
both eye and hand are necessary now. In the first place, we 
must notice if the front of the knee is free from blemish, that 
the integument moves freely over the point when a blemish does 
exist; look well for morbid growth of bone upon the large and 
small metacarpals; try the integument below the carpus, 
which will give proof as to the operation of neurotomy 
having been performed or not; trace the skin, bone, and ten¬ 
dons down over the fetlock-joint to the coronet; look well to 
the lateral cartilages; try if they are elastic and of proper 
shape; then turn yourself round and examine the posterior 
part of the limb from the elbow to the foot, so that every 
portion may be well scanned, in order to find marks of 
speedy cut, ruptured tendons, interference from shoeing, en¬ 
larged fetlock, &c., this joint being a very complicated one 
and liable to injury. Now raise the foot and examine the 
horny structures; bring the foot into contact with the ole¬ 
cranon of the ulna ; if this can readily be done, there will not 
be any stiffness about the upper joints; but if any difficulty 
is found in placing the foot and elbow together, no doubt 
will exist that some organic change has taken place, either 
from injury above the knee, the knee itself, the fetlock-joint, 
or the foot. You cannot attach too much importance to this 
portion of the examination, and this having been accom¬ 
plished, return to the withers. The hand is passed along the 
course of the spinal column, and the centre of the loins pressed, 
which will give an idea of the state of parts underneath ; then 
onwards to the patella, looking under the abdomen in search 
