Remarks with illustrations of the eroded shuttle, or nut-bone (os nuciforme) of the horse's foot / [Anon].

  • Clark, Bracy, 1771-1860
Date:
[1842?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks with illustrations of the eroded shuttle, or nut-bone (os nuciforme) of the horse's foot / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Fig 3. we selected as exhibiting what may be supposed the very earliest visible derange- ment of the parts from the effects of the disorder, or first stage of the disease; there being as yet, no positive ulceration, hut only a brown oblong patch, commencing disease, composed very much of brownish lines or patches, as though the articular cartilage was breaking up, or as though a morbid acrimonious fluid was irritating and dissolving the surfaces, and attacking the osseous part also. White patches of a similar nature may be also seen scattered upon the tendon, whose internal surface is here exposed by its being detached from the nut bone, and bent back; and by this reflection discovers to advantage the disorder. Fig. 4. The tendon here also has been disengaged and bent back, in a similar manner to the preceding; and a good view of the posterior surface of the os nuciforme is thus obtained; and, with the succeeding figures, was procured and prepared by my esteemed friend, Charles Wallis, veterinary surgeon, and formerly the intelligent apprentice of my nephew, Charles Clark, of Giltspur-street. In these three figures the lowest part, which is of a somewhat oblong trian- gular appearance represents, by this manner of exhibiting them, that surface of articulation of the Shuttle-bone, which comes into contact, or uniform apposition at least, with the upper posterior surface of the coffin-bone; presenting a flattish, narrow, oblong surface to that bone, rounded however above, for a slight motion on it. This bone represents a much more suffering state than the preceding examples, and the ulcers appear to be deeper, and especially those which occupy the middle parts of the bone. It appears to us not improbable that the depth of these ulcers will depend not only on the degree of force, or of compression and fixation of the tendon, but also on the more or less facility of escape of the acrid fluids generated by the inflammation, and which would cause perhaps, the central ones, more especially, to be deeper generally than the lateral ones. Blood appears to have escaped also in this case, from the corroded and exposed vessels of the bone, and has communicated a darker tinge to the representation ; and the bone itself was reddened also in patches, apparently from the extravasated and congested blood; and stripes, or streams, and clouds of a dead whitish matter appear to be deposited upon the internal surface of the tendon; arising probably, from abraded bone imperfectly dissolved in the secretions, or discharges, of the part, which, in drying, became still whiter; and these drawings were taken from the dried specimens. Neither can we help adverting here to the miserable state of suffering an animal must experience, with an ulceration of this kind going on in a point so peculiarly exposed to friction and pressure, which must be almost intolerable ! Such defects as these, with others we have formerly exhi- bited, would go nigh to shew a necessity for revising the whole line of these proceedings, and of changing the system to something of a less inimical character to the feet; not only on account of the worthy animals themselves, and their sufferings, but the precarious tenure of this kind of property when so subject to damage ; the lives also, and injuries to which the public are ever exposed through it. To which may be added the severe bitings and wdiippings they receive, independently of the pains of their feet from such ulcerations, in order to over- come and to conceal, as much as may he, those sufferings. Fig. 5. Here the ulceration is almost wholly confined to the central parts of the bone, and appear to be excessively deep ; having much of the white deposit lodged about it, and which is also seen on the inner surface of the tendon, exposed by being disengaged and turned up. Numerous other examples of bones only, without the tendons being prepared along with them, have we seen; but as they had been much boiled, and perhaps changed, so we have preferred the present more recent specimens for representation. Having described and exhibited the appearances the disease makes in the foot of the horse, when attacked with this disorder, we now take a glance at the probable causes of its taking place; which do not appear, by those formerly engaged in describing it, to have been much perceived. At the time of my writing the Podopthora, where I described the more common and usual disasters attending feet under common shoeing, an example of this complaint had not then occurred to me, and my first searches after it were so unfruitful, that I believed it a truly rare mischief; as did also the researches after it of my friends, lead to the same conclusion. Now,