556 LIVERPOOL VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
specting the production of harmonised motion, which they refer to 
the special organization and action of the spinal cord, that is, to 
different intimate connections of certain groups of its ganglionic 
cells. Different combinations of muscular action being necessary 
for the production of co-ordinated movements (for instance, taking 
a step), which are not, at least among the lower animals, learned 
Ijy study and practice, ending after many failures in successful elec¬ 
tion, the combinations which are required for the purpose must 
already exist organized, and, as it were, prearranged in the spinal 
cord, so that a single impress is sufficient to call this combination 
into action. 
“6. The transverse commissures appear to be designed to pre¬ 
serve perfect harmony of movement between the two sides of the 
body—the inferior, which seems to be connected with the filaments 
conducting the orders of the will, for the correspondence of the 
voluntary movements ; the superior, for the involuntary co-ordination 
in reflex action. 
“7. The two horns of grey matter seem to stand in the closest 
relation to motion—the inferior the direct sources of motion, the 
superior rather for reflex action and co-ordination.” 
We will now consider the influence exerted by the former of the 
two before-mentioned causes by the existence of an irritant in the 
course of the nerve supplying the spasmodically affected muscles. 
It is evident that the seat of any irritation must be situated 
lower down the limb than the point where the anterior tibial nerve 
leavesThe main trunk ; most probably it will be found near the hock, 
where the nerve is chiefly sentient and reflex in function, so that 
when the joint is bent the nerve becomes compressed or otherwise 
irritated, and through pure excess of reflex action inordinate con¬ 
traction of the muscles supplied by the nerve of compound func¬ 
tion results. 
This view is the one I believe to be the more generally accepted to 
account for stringhalt, and it receives some support in that the 
spasm is almost invariably more apparent when the animal is per¬ 
forming exceptional movement, as turning or backing, and I have 
repeatedly noticed the disease to affect horses having hocks with 
large bony deposits; but it is weakened by the fact that the spasm 
is usually lessened in degree after the horse has gone some little 
distance, and not unfrequently the halt is intermittent, neither of 
which could well be if such an irritant as the existence of a spicula 
of bone was persistently present. 
With regard to the second cause, it may be that the group of 
ganglionic cells of the cord which are in connection with the motor 
nerves supplying the affected muscles are in such an abnormally 
excited condition that in response to ordinary stimuli they transmit 
extraordinary impulses, and undue contraction results. This supposi¬ 
tion somewhat accords with the opinions of some recent authors on 
the functions of the spinal cord, viz. that the motor pow’er for 
each set of muscles is supplied by a special and distinct group of 
nerve-cells, which group not only transmits impulses in answer to 
