22 
OBSERVATIONS ON SOUNDNESS. 
upon paper, but it does not turn out such an easy matter in 
practice. Many horses are examined with large deposits of 
bone adhering to the small bone and extending inside of it, 
still they are not lame, although the ligament is continually 
rubbing against it. This can only be accounted for from the 
fact, that all inflammatory action has passed away, and the 
parts have accommodated themselves to change of structure. 
Two cases were brought to me this day ; one with a large 
exostosis immediately under the knee of the right leg on the 
outer side, which produced lameness for a considerable time. 
That patient has been discharged cured of lameness, and is 
to be sold. The other case is that of a gray mare having 
small spiculi of bony matter both on the inner and outer 
side of the right leg, about two’ inches below the knee; she is 
excessively lame, and has been so for some time. These cases, 
as I have said before, are most troublesome. 
Is a horse sound with splint? If we turn to the definition 
of soundness as laid down by the first lawyers of Great 
Britain, and which will be found in my first paper for 
January, 1863, it will there be learned that sound means 
perfect; if, therefore, a leg to be sound must be perfect, I 
think there will not be much difficulty in our way in ascer¬ 
taining the soundness or otherwise of an animal affected with 
splint, more especially when we take into account the variety 
of forms under which these defects present themselves. 
If it were possible to state the precise situation and extent 
of the ossific deposit, we could in that case give a clearer and 
more definite answer to queries put to us in our examinations 
of splints. Morbid anatomy enables me to state that it is 
almost impossible during the lifetime of the animal to know 
the precise situation and extent as well as course of manv 
splints. In cases of examinations as to soundness prior to 
purchase, these affairs are easily got rid of, should lameness 
take place subsequently; but if warranties are given in 
similar cases , and the subjects of those warranted fail lame 
within a reasonable time after being sold, I believe in nine 
cases out of ten a jury would find for the plaintiff. 
(To be continued .) 
