250 DISEASES OF THE HORSE'S FOOT 



the left, and the horse, being unhooked, ought to have 

 turned to the right. Here, unfortunately, the near fore- 

 foot became wedged in between two converging railway 

 plates, one of which formed a part of the waggon-way, on 

 which the trucks were running. The horse was a big 

 animal, and freshly shod with heavy shoes, on which a toe- 

 piece and calkins were used. The shoe was roughly but 

 strongly nailed on with eight nails, the clinches of which 

 were all firm. This shoe was fitted wide at the heels, and 

 when the foot was fixed in the points (toe downwards) it 

 protruded over the face of the rail. When the trucks 

 reached it they pressed it down, and, the horse leaning for- 

 ward, the hoof was drawn off like a glove. The hoof was 

 almost as clean inside as if taken off by maceration — only 

 towards the toe was a small portion of the coffin-bone and 

 some torn laminae left inside the hoof. 



' As soon as possible after the accident, so I was told, the 

 foot was bound up with tow and a bandage ; then a sack 

 was cut up and placed over all, and the horse slowly led to 

 his loose-box. He " carried " the leg all the way, limping 

 along on the three sound ones. Almost immediately after 

 reaching the box he lay down, but only for a short time. 

 The standing position was not long maintained — profuse 

 perspiration set in, and the alterations of position became 

 more rapid and violent, till plunging and rolling were added 

 to the other signs of excruciating pain. I was also told 

 that the groaning of the poor animal was almost constant, 

 and at times so loud and prolonged as to amount to a shriek. 



' I have no experience of a similar case, and I should not 

 have supposed that this accident would have caused such 

 acute suffering and violent symptoms. I think I have heard 

 of such cases making a complete recovery ; but I feel sure 

 that, in this case, I only anticipated death by, at most, a 

 few hours.' * 



2. ' The case I am about to give you an account of, being 

 one of rare occurrence, I thought would not prove un- 

 interesting to the members of the Veterinary Medical 

 * Veterinary Record, vo. iv., p. 127. 



