258 
OBSERVATIONS ON SOUNDNESS. 
beiri”: offensive to the smell, would possibly lead the examiner 
to infer that the case was of long standing, and that either 
the cartilages or the bones themselves were implicated. I 
should imagine, if this were the case, other symptoms would 
be present which would corroborate or strengthen the opinion 
so formed. This has always been my experience, and 1 have 
never met with much difficulty in the matter. There is 
another affection which, I have no doubt, has often caused 
the life of many horses to be sacrificed ; namely, abrasions 
upon the Schneiderian membrane. This is occasionally 
met with in severe cases of catarrh and in strangles. In 
such affections it will be necessary to look carefully for other 
and unmistakeable symptoms before recommending the de¬ 
struction of a patient. In the other case, that of a carious 
tooth, there is occasionally much difficulty in forming a 
correct diagnosis, from the position the animal assumes, and 
from the fact of his being awkward and shy about the head. 
We have, however, a ready means of placing the animal in 
such a position that we can with comparative ease put the 
matter beyond doubt; that is, by throwing him, and examining 
the cavity of the mouth when down. I have not met with 
any young horses with carious teeth ; indeed, it is a complaint 
of the teeth I have not seen much of in this country. A 
horse labouring under this affection would, for the time being, 
be looked upon as an unsound one. 
Bronchitis sometimes remains as a sequel of strangles, and 
which, if not removed, would cause the animal to have some 
difficulty in passing most veterinary surgeons as to soundness, 
and it would in all probability become chronic, which neces¬ 
sarily deteriorates the value of the animal. The diseases of 
the respiratory organs will come in for a share of consideration 
in their proper course. 
Having referred to some of the diseases most likely to fall 
under the notice of practitioners when examining horses as 
to soundness, I must proceed to carry out the observations 
first intended by me. Some of the affections passed in review 
seemed to call forth remarks that were not premeditated, and 
this caused a deviation from my proposed plan. 
Our next step will be the examination of the eyes. I must 
confess I approach this subject with diffidence, feeling how 
important it is and how little it is understood by the public 
generally. When we take into consideration the structure of 
the visual organ, and the little we know of its functions, 
together with the fact how few of us have made the science 
of optics a study, and also the cursory manner the eyes of 
horses are examined as to their soundness, I repeat I feel 
