OBSERVATIONS ON SOUNDNESS. 
209 
understood ; certainly not by the mass of horsemen. I dare 
say most persons who are in the habit of riding or driving 
animals would feel themselves offended if told thev did not 
understand what a horse’s action should be. If we look into 
the streets, or the hunting-field, we shall learn that every 
animal has his own peculiar gait or action in his various 
paces; hence arises the difficulty in making persons believe 
that this or that horse has imperfect action, and that that 
imperfection arises not infrequently from diseased bones; 
but so it is. This subject will be referred to again in another 
place. I have thrown out a hint to the effect that impaired 
action may, and often is, referrible to diseased bones, although 
the disease in each particular case is not always definable. 
If ringbone has commenced immediately beneath the co¬ 
ronary ring, as it sometimes is known to do, it will not be an 
easy matter to diagnose it; time will be required to bring it 
to light. Ossific deposits are not always of the same cha¬ 
racter. I have found more of the earthy carbonates in some 
than in others; this fact will account for the easy and 
effectual manner that some are absorbed ; no matter whether 
the deposit is situated upon the tarsi, metatarsi, metacarpi, 
suffragini or coronae. We are sometimes told of the wonder¬ 
ful cures made by skilful men in the country, that is to say, 
the men who live as farm servants, and know a little—or as 
some persons think a good deal—about medicine. Many 
times I have been told of such and such a one being able to 
take off a splint or a spavin in less than no time. Doubtless 
there are men of this class to be found, and they invariably 
obtain much credit for their cures; the failures, however, 
scarcely ever transpire. How different this is to the mem¬ 
bers of our profession. If we fail in one instance, the winds 
convey the evil tidings far and near; but if we make a hit, 
hov T quiet it is kept! It may make a little consternation if 
it happens to be anything truly wonderful, but it is only of 
short duration. 
But to return to the different kinds of bony deposits. 
Some of the specimens I possess consist of masses of matter 
analogous to common chalk; others are as hard as adamant. 
This explains, I think, the reason why some splints are so 
readily absorbed. Cold applications will, not infrequently, cause 
rapid absorption of these deposits. On the other hand, we 
know also that the most potent agents will frequently fail to 
reduce others. I have had occasion to penetrate the bony 
deposit with a sharp knife, or the actual cautery, both of 
which have failed to accomplish the desired end when the 
mass has been of the hard kind. If we can ascertain in our 
