SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
215 
Dr. Walker: Regarding neiirectomized horses you say you would in 
all instances reject them. 
Dr. Hughes : Yes, in every instance. 
Dr. Walker: I was consulted a few days ago on a case like that. A 
party called at my office requesting me to examine a horse for him be¬ 
longing to a doctor that he was going to purchase. The doctor asked 
$200 for him. I saw that the horse was neurectomized. The doctor ad¬ 
mitted that his horse went lame some time ago and that when consult¬ 
ing his veterinarian he (the vet) stated that there was a nodule on the 
nerve which had to be taken off. After this was done the horse went all 
right. I advised party not to buy the horse. 
Dr. Robertson : In regard to the question of shaky knees. Now, I 
have known of many horses that were very good and that were kept in 
the barn, especially box-stalls, during the winter and put suddenly to 
work in the spring that have developed shaking of the knees. I had 
several cases this summer. One in particular had it in a very marked 
degree. She was blistered in her back tendon and has done her work 
since well. Therefore one would have to be careful that he should know 
something of the history of the case before he rejects a horse. Regard¬ 
ing interference I would echo the sentiments of Dr. Hughes. Of course 
interfering of the canon bone is unsound. I agree with Dr. Hughes that 
up to within the last year or two, horseshoers made a great mistake 
when shoeing green horses by lessening the circumference of the foot to 
such an extent as to cause interfering. I would also suggest that in ex¬ 
amining a horse, one be very careful if a green horse has been shod and 
is afflicted with overreaching. The trouble was that the horseshoer has 
cut a large amount of the wall, making it as low as possible and raised 
the horse’s foot up behind and also the toe in front, and the consequence 
was that he clicked at every step he made. As soon as he changed this 
it lessened the interfering to a very perceptible degree. Use judgment 
in regard to the amount of wall that is to be taken off and the kind of 
shoe put on a green horse. I would recommend for a green horse to 
cut off just as little of the wall as possible and shoe him as light as pos¬ 
sible. 
Dr. Ryan : Did you not find that in most cases of sprung knees a 
great deal is due to the conformation. The conformation is not correct ? 
Dr. Hughes: Decidedly. Anyone on a breeding farm will have 
noticed it in colts growing up right from colthood. It is a very common 
thing to find and he may have a perfect conformation of the shoulder. 
Standing a horse in a stall with an inclined fioor is a common cause. 
The opinion of some people is, that he will straighten up again. I say 
that in every instance one of those should be condemned. 
Dr. Hawley: Supposing one buying a horse would buy him for the 
show ring, he was an extra high-going horse of beautiful appearance 
slightly sprung in the knees, a horse that the judge in the show ring 
would not condemn, a horse that would pass in the show ring as sound, 
would he have to be condemned by the veterinarian ? 
Dr. Hughes: If I were the veterinarian I would condemn him, for if 
it comes to a question of downright soundness j'ou would have to throw 
him out. 
Dr. Robertson : I was called to treat a horse a few weeks ago of 
splendid conformation and high action. He was standing all winter 
