588 
STRIxXG. HALT-ITS DOUBTFUL PATHOLOGY. 
lacerated the lung; this was the immediate cause of death. 
I examined the brain and spinal marrow^ and their coats, all 
of 'which were healthy. I traced the nerves as I had previously 
done in other cases, but could not detect any disease. I 
found in both hocks ulcerative disease of the astragalus, 
most extensive in the oft* leg, which was the least affected 
with string-halt. The other bones of the hocks were free 
from disease. 
Cases 5 and 0.—I made two other post-mortems, the minutes 
of Avhich I have mislaid, but am under the impression that 
I found the nerves healthy, and that ulcerative disease of the 
hocks existed. 
Case 7.—June, 1863.—A brown horse, presented to me by 
an old patient. I had known this animal for twenty years, 
nineteen of which I hardly think he missed a day^s work. I 
observed the first symptoms of string-halt about six years ago. 
It commenced in the nigh hind leg, increasing in severity 
every year, until it became so bad that he would occasionally 
fall; there was also a want of action in the oft* hock, which 
I attributed to occult spavin. 1 watched this horse daily for 
some time after I had received him; he was as playful as a 
colt, not showing any indication of age, although twenty- 
seven or twenty-eight years old. His teeth were so much 
worn that he had to be fed on slops. I sent him about 
twenty-two miles out of the city, to the farm of a friend, 
who kindly offered to furnish me a convenient place for 
making a post-mortem. On the last of June, accompanied 
by Mr. L—, a veterinary surgeon and excellent anatomist, 
I visited the farm of my friend, W'ho had everything arranged 
for me. The animal w^as destroyed by bleeding, previous to 
ray arrival. An incision was made througli the gluteal 
muscles of the off side, exposing the sacral plexus. The 
muscles were perfeetly healthy, the seiatic nerve and its 
branches were traced -through the muscles, and for some way 
below the hock, but not the smallest trace of disease could 
we detect, nor could I afterw'ards with the aid of the micro¬ 
scope; the crural nerve was examined with like result. The 
hock was next examined. On opening the joint it was found 
well supplied with synovia; there was an ulcer in the groove 
of tlie astragalus near the centre; the sinus at the inferior 
portion of the groove in the astragalus, whieh must not be 
mistaken for an ulcer, was very deep and but thinly covered 
with cartilage; the cuneiform and other bones of the joint 
which I expected to have found anchylosed, were free from 
