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 forward, 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 laminfe 

 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 alternations 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, vol. iv., p. 127. 



