FRACTURES. 455 



haunclies. and, having roicTed his urine n,nd his dang, he turned himself 

 upon the other side, without the bandages round his pasterns being mthe 

 slio-htest degree interfered Avith. 



At the expiration of the second week he seemed to wish to get up. ihe 

 oTOom had orders to assist him, and a shng was passed under him. Some 

 oats were placed in the manger, and he seemed to enjoy the change for a 

 little while. Soon afterwards he began to be uneasy, and a copious per- 

 spmation appeared on every part. He was immediately lowered, when, 

 with evident dehght, he stretched out his head and his legs, and lay almost 

 Axdthout motion during several hours. On the following day he was again 

 placed in the shng, and again lowered as soon as he appeared to be fatigued. 

 At the expiration of a month from the time of the accident he could get 

 up without assistance, and would continue standing two or three hours, 

 when he lay doAvn again, but with a degree of precaution that was truly 

 admirable. The bandages around the pasterns had been continued until 

 this period, and had been kept wet Avith a spirituous embrocation. The 

 horse Avas encom-aged to Avalk a httle, some corn being offered to him in a 

 sieve. He Avas sadly lame, and the lameness was considerably greater m 

 the left than in the right foot. A calculous enlargement could also be felt 

 in the direction of the fracture on each pastern ; but it was greatest m the 

 left fetlock, and there Avas reason to fear the existence of anchylosis between 

 the pastern bones of the left leg. That foot Avas surrounded Avith emollient 

 cataplasms, and, two days afterwards, was pared out, and the cautery 

 applied over both pasterns, the spirituous embrocation being continued. 



A fortnight afterwards the eflTect of the cautery Avas very satisfactory. 

 The action of the part Avas more free, and there Avas no longer any fear of 

 anchylosis. It AAvas, hoAvever, deemed prudent to apply the cautery over 

 the right pastern. Walking exercise Avas noAV recommended, and m the 

 course of another month the lameness Avas much diminished. It Avas most 

 on the left side, which, hoAvever, had resumed its former degi-ee of 

 inclination. .^. 



At the expiration of four months the horse was sent to work. Mis 

 master, hoAvever, doubting the stability of the cure, sold him, for Avhich he 

 ouo-ht to have had his OAvn legs broken, and he fell into bad hands. He 

 was Avorked hardly and half-starved ; nevertheless, the calculus continued 

 to diminish, and the lameness altogether disappeared. He soon, hoAvever, 

 passed into better hands. He was bought by a farmer at Chalons, in whose 

 service he long remained, in good condition, and totally free from lameness. 

 His last owner gave liim the name of Old Broken Leg. 



Fracture of the coffin-bone. — This is an accident of very rare 

 occurrence, and difficult to distinguish from other causes of lameness. The 

 animal halts very considerably— the foot is hot and tender— the pain seems 

 to be exceedingly great, and none of the ordmary causes of lameness are 

 perceived. According to Hurtrel D'Arboval, it is not so serious an acci- 

 dent as has been represented. The fractured portions cannot be displaced, 

 and in a vascular bone like this, the union of the divided parts AviU be 



readily effected. . n ,i rn n 



Mr. Percivall very properly remarks, that, 'buried as the coffin and 

 navicular bones are within the hoof, and out of the Avay of all external 

 iniury as well as of muscular force, fracture of them cannot proceed from 

 ordinary causes. It is, perhaps, thus produced:— in the healthy foot m 

 consequence of the elasticity of their connections, these bones yield or 

 spring under the impression they receive from the bones above, and thus 

 are enabled to bear great Aveights, and sustain violent shocks without in- 

 jury ; but, disease in the foot is often found to destroy this elasticity ,_ by 

 chankng the cartilage into bone, Avhich cannot receive the same Aveight 



