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articulation of the femur was broken off, and the Patella, or cup of 

 the stifle, was split at the same time ; it was a compound comminuted 

 fracture. The horse was put into slings, but its sufferings were so 

 great that it was shot. 



loo. The Tibia, or leg bone, is considered to be more liable to 

 fracture than any other bone in the body, but very often the bone is 

 merely cracked without any displacement, and with little or no 

 lameness present — a slight skin wound may perhaps be seen, or, may 

 be, only a small enlargement felt, which is painful to the tauch. 



loi. Cracked Tibia, or deferred fracture, mostly occurs when two 

 horses are put into one stall, and one of them, standing a little 

 further forward than the other, kicks out and hits its companion on the 

 inside of the thigh. The best thing that can be done in a case of this 

 kind is to at once tie the injured horse up by the head with two 

 halters, one on each side, and put on the slings, not permitting it to 

 lie down, as the limb frequently gives way when the animal gets up. 

 But if it is kept working for two or three days (which it may be equal 

 to), the least exertion will cause the bone to part asunder. Hence, if 

 there is a doubt whether the horse's leg be cracked or not, give the 

 animal the benefit of the doubt, and tie it up for a time. In one case 

 under my notice, the horse stood for three weeks, but, when turned 

 out to grass, it laid down to roll, and, on rising, broke the bone in two. 

 In the case of a blow on the inside of the fore leg — the Radius — there 

 is the same danger, and similar treatment must be adopted. 



102. The Scapula or Shoulder Blade may be broken by 

 excessive muscular contraction, owing to the lower parts of the 

 limb — particularly the foot — being suddenly injured. It may also be 

 damaged by the animal falling, through making too sharp a turn when 

 galloping. If the fracture be oblique, and the horse is put in slings, 

 the parts being well supported with a good pitch charge, a good 

 recovery may result ; but if the neck of the bone be broken and 

 the joint be implicated, treatment is of little avail. 



103. The Humerus can be fractured by the animal falling in its 

 gallop, or by a kick from another horse ; recovery entirely depends 



