408 DISEASES OF THE HORSE'S FOOT 



tensely lame of the near hind-limb, and, after inquiries, 

 there was no evidence bearing on the cause, as is often 

 the case, and at times this comes to light when least 

 expected. 



4 I was called in consultation on September 2, and found 

 him suffering acute pain, with great swelling around the 

 coronet. The foot was examined thoroughly, and the diag- 

 nosis was fracture of the pedal bone, and immediate slaugh- 

 ter was recommended. However, that was not carried out, 

 and he died on September 22. 



' The post-mortem inspection revealed a complete fracture 

 of nearly the whole of the articulating surface and the left 

 wing of the pedal bone (as shown in Fig. 160).'* 



4. A further interesting case is reported by Mr. William 

 Hurrell.t Here the cause was presumably galloping in the 

 field, for the subject, a cart mare running out at grass with 

 her foal, was suddenly found to be lame. 



As the lameness continued to increase in severity, Mr. 

 Flurrell was called in on August 1, and diagnosed the case 

 as one of foot lameness. On this date the foot was pared' 

 out, and a large accumulation of pus discovered. Poul- 

 ticing and antiseptic dressings were continued until August 

 lo, when a movable piece of the os pedis was found at 

 the toe. 



On August 25 this detached portion of the bone was re- 

 moved, and turned out to be the whole of the anterior 

 margin of the os pedis, measuring 3^ inches long, and vary- 

 ing in width from i inch to H inches. On September 20 

 the mare was working without lameness. 



3. Fractures of the Navicular Bone. 



Hidden within the wings of the os pedis, and protected 

 as it is by its tendinous covering and the yielding substance 

 of the plantar cushion, the navicular bone is even less liable 

 to fracture than either of the other bones of the foot. 



The most common cause of fracture of the navicular is 



* J. Freeman, M.R.C.V.S., Veterinary Journal, vol. xxxi., p. 324. 

 t Ibid., vol. v., p. 408. 



