for some months previously, and which had been
unsuccessfully combated by the milder forms of treatment for the disease
without any benefit. Although the horse went sound, the owner feared to
ride him, and sent him to be sold in Dublin, where he was disposed of for a
small price, and I then lost sight of him. The following Punchestown
Races, to my surprise, amongst a group of horses walking round the paddock
previous to saddling for an important race, I recognised my old patient,
bandaged, clothed, and trained, ready to take his part in the cross-country
contest, and surrounded by a host of admirers willing to back him at any
price.

'Having satisfied myself that it was no other than the same animal, my
first impulse was at once to find out the jockey who was to ride him, and
warn him of his danger by telling him his mount was devoid of feeling
in both fore-feet; but the saddling-bell had already rung, and in a few
moments more the jockey emerged from the weighing-room and the next view of
the horse was his tearing up the course in the preliminary, and "pulling
double." I was sorry for the jockey if he felt as I did at that moment, for
if he did I fear he and his horse would have parted company at the first
fence, as I was certain there would be a smash before the end of the long
and difficult three miles of the Kildare Hunt Cup course. It was not until
I saw him again in the front rank passing the stand, in the first round,
that I breathed freely, and even then I felt very guilty, and, had he come
to grief badly, I don't think I should ever have operated on another horse
except in such a way as would have left unmistakable traces after it.

'"The old horse wins!" screamed a thousand voices as the competitors safely
cleared the last bank (now taken away for a gorse fence) the last time
round, and from that moment the operation went up in my estimation a
hundredfold, and I almost lost all interest in the finish (and it was a
close one, with my patient a good third), resolving I would operate for the
future on every animal, young and old, which showed symptoms of navicular
disease.

'Neither owner nor jockey knew the horse had been operated on, and he was
soon after, on the strength of his performance, sold for a good price to
come to England. It is idle to think that all cases are as successful as
this was, as experience soon told me; but I consider that, in careful
hands, the advantages well outweigh the disadvantages