331 



in one or more of the extremities, anterior or posterior, suddenly 

 increases, and it becomes evident tliat tlie rupture has taken j)lace in 

 consequence of a misstep or a stumble while the horse is at work. 

 Then, upon coming to a standstill, he will be found with one or more 

 of his toes turned up — he is unable to place the aifeeted foot flat on 

 the ground. The fetlock has dropped and the leg rests upon this part, 

 the skin of which may have remained intact or may have been more 

 or less extensively lacerated. It seldom happens that more than one 

 toe at a time will turn np, \et still the lesion in one will be followed 

 b}^ its occurrence in another, Commonlj- two feet of a bixjed, the 

 anterior or posterior, are affected, and we recall one case in which 

 the two fore and one of the hind legs Avere included at the same time. 

 The accident, however, is quite as likely to happen while the horse is 

 at rest in his stall, and he may be found in the morning standing on 

 his fetlocks. One of the earliest of the cases occurring in our own 

 experience had been under our care for several weeks for susi3ected 

 disease of the fetlocks, the nature of which had not been made out, 

 when, apparently, imx^roved by the treatment which he had under- 

 gone, the patient was taken out of the stable to be walked a short 

 distance into the country-, but had little more than started when he 

 was called to a halt bj^ the fracture of the sesamoids of both fore legs. 



While there are no positive premonitory symptoms known of these 

 fractures we believe that there are signs and symptoms which come 

 but little short of being so, and the appearance of which Avill alwa^'s 

 justify a strong suspicion of the truth of the case. These have been 

 indicated when referring to the soreness in standing, the short "minc- 

 ing" gait, and the tenderness betrayed when pressure is made over 

 the sesamoids on the sides of the fetlock, Avith others less tangible 

 and definable. 



These injuries can never be accounted less than serious, and in our 

 judgment will never be other tlian fatal. If our theor^^ of their j^athol- 

 ogy is the correct one, and the cause of the lesions is truly the 

 softening of the sesamoidal bony structure and independent of any 

 changes in the ligamentous fibers, the possibilitj" of a solid osseous 

 union can hardly be considered admissible. 



In respect to the treatment to be recommended and instituted it 

 can only be employed with any rational hope of benefit during the 

 incubation, and with the anticipatory purpose of prevention. It must 

 be suggested by a suspicion of the verities of the ease, and applied 

 before any rupture has taken j)lace. To prevent this and to antago- 

 nize the causes which might iDrecipitate the final catastrophe — the 

 elevation of the toes — resort must be had to the slings and to the appli- 

 cation of firm bandages or splints, perhaps of plaster of Paris, Avitli a 

 high shoe, as about tlie only indications which science and nature are 

 able to offer. When the fracture is an occurred event, and the toes, 

 one or more, are turned up, any further resort to treatment will be 

 futile. 



