OBSERVATIONS ON SOUNDNESS. 
87 
which I have no doubt is employed by most others, which is 
simply flexion and extension, and displacing the common 
integument both upwards and downwards, as well as in a 
lateral direction. By these means it will soon be learned 
whether any change has taken place in any of the structures. 
In one instance an enlargement of the parts will be seen; 
secondly, the integument will be closely allied to the sheath 
of the tendon, the tendon and its sheath cemented together, 
the tendons and suspensory ligament become as one. In 
another it will be found that the ligament is fixed to the 
metacarpal bone, and lastly, it becomes apparent to the close 
observer that the suspensory ligament is so changed that it 
has lost its peculiar character, a hard cartilaginous substance 
being produced in its place. In each and every case im¬ 
pairment of action is the result; the extent of which will 
depend upon the nature of the parts affected (and it may be 
added, the derangement of function will be visible in the 
same ratio as the alterations of structure which have been 
attempted to be described). A short time ago I met with a 
case in which integument, cellular tissue, sheath of tendon, 
tendon, ligament, and metacarpal bone were all amalgamated. 
This animal was destroyed by my wish, and afforded much 
information of an interesting kind afterwards. On looking 
at a dried specimen—a dissection for ligaments and tendons 
of a fore-leg, we shall be forcibly struck with its beauty and 
admirable arrangement for all the purposes of locomotion. 
At the same time we cannot help thinking how much sim¬ 
plicity is manifested in some portions of the limb, and it will 
be conceived without much reflection, that the simpler the 
arrangement the less liability there is for impairment of func¬ 
tion ; if we take for example the shoulder-joint, made up as it 
is of soft parts chiefly, we can soon understand how it is 
those parts are so seldom found to suffer injury. We all know 
that the farriers of old and some of the modern practitioners 
of veterinary surgery, who do not possess a knowledge of 
anatomy, still look to the shoulder for most cases of lameness 
in the front limbs. Those, however, who have received a 
liberal education are fully aware of the many blunderers who 
have preceded us. Take another example—the structure 
of the parts connected with the large metacarpal and the 
smaller bones—we find the anatomy between the lower carpal 
joint and the fetlock particularly simple, which will account 
for the immensity of wear and tear these several parts will 
bear; nothing short of a shock will disturb these struc¬ 
tures, if we except that of splint and wind-gall. If they 
were not so constructed disease w r ould oftener manifest 
