Animal Morphology. 109 



furniture, and in the strain felt a snap in the right thigh ; it 

 was at right angles to the long axis of the femur, and close 

 to its lower third. He walked home with much difficulty, 

 and was surprised at the trouble he had to get upstairs to 

 bed ; but as there was very slight displacement, the weight 

 of the body for so serious an accident, was well borne. 



Examination proved the nature of the accident, and when 

 recovered, the thick, hard callus settled it still more, if 

 more could be required. It was seen later on by a surgeon 

 of much eminence belonging to one of our large metropolitan 

 hospitals, who also confirmed the diagnosis. 



Here there was no bruising or contusion accompanying 

 the fracture. The fracture was clear and unmistakable. 

 The two preceding furunculi were also unmistakable, the 

 last about ten inches from the seat of fracture. 



If air getting to the connective tissue is the chief cause, 

 as some maintain, of matter forming at a distant part from 

 the opening, there had been a fair opportunity in the opening 

 in the integument caused by two previous furunculi, for 

 inflammation and abscess ; the last of which, at the time of 

 fracture, was fast healing. 



But the fracture itself, contrary to all that might be 

 expected, proved as intractable as any compound fracture is 

 wont to be. By the third day the tumefaction was very 

 great, soon to be followed by an enormous and long-con- 

 tinued discharge of pus, first by the opening in the skin made 

 by the core of the furunculus, and then in three separate 

 places one near the knee, one near the fracture, and a third 

 opening was about five inches above the seat of injury. 



In six months the patient walked moderately well on 

 crutches, and in three months more with a stick, and 

 returned to his usual duties after that ; but the last- 

 mentioned opening remained open, and, extending by a long 

 sinus to the callous bony structure, for more than six years, 



