OBSERVATIONS ON SOUNDNESS. 
19 
situated upon or contiguous to one of the small metacarpal 
bones. It will be necessary that we look rather closely 
into this subject, and endeavour to find out whether we 
have or have not exhausted it. In the first place it will 
be well to learn if an exostosis not known to be connected 
with the small metacarpal bone should be designated a splint; 
for without we settle this question it will be difficult to deal 
with it. Reference has been made before to the absorp¬ 
tion of the fibro-cartilaginous matter, and deposition of bone 
between the small and large metacarpi. Suppose the fibro-car¬ 
tilaginous matter be absorbed, and its own quantity of bone 
substituted, and no more, I would ask if it is likely that many 
persons will detect splint during the process of examination 
as to soundness? I hold a specimen in my hand taken from 
a pony twenty-three years of age, which consists of the 
carpal joint of the near leg, i.e. the lower end of the radius; 
all the bones of the carpus, with the three metacarpi; the 
scaphoid has a deposit of bony matter the size of a hazel nut 
anteriorly; the trapezoid and os magnum are cemented 
the one to the other with bony matter; the small (inner) and 
large metacarpal are so amalgamated that it would be impos¬ 
sible for any person to distinguish them, or to state where 
the one commenced or the other terminated (during the life 
of the animal, of course, I allude to). The pony was put under 
treatment some years ago, and I believed I had cured the splint. 
The kind of cure was apparent immediately after death. 
II aving seen so much of this kind of thing, I may challenge 
the most sensitive hand to discover such a case in the living 
patient as that which now lies upon my desk. 
I have been accustomed during my practice to term all 
exostoses, splint, if found in the neighbourhood of the small 
bones, whether on the inside or outside of the leg. Sometimes 
I have (when they have been situated nearer to the anterior 
part of the large bone than to the posterior) named them nodes; 
which term I have believed applicable. Mr. Percivall, how¬ 
ever, was of opinion that the term node is ^-appropriate. 
If the term splint be confined to the deposit (or substitution 
of bony matter between the small and large metacarpal 
bones) then it becomes absolutely necessary to give some 
other name to those excrescences so frequently met with upon 
the large bone. For my own part I see no objection to the 
term splint bein^ employed in all cases which may be found to 
exist in the immediate neighbourhood of the small metacarpal 
bone. I do not see that we have need to manufacture difficul¬ 
ties about terms. That veterinary nomenclature is defective 
no one can doubt, and it may be worth one’s while to set 
