408 DISEASES OF THE HOESE'S FOOT 



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

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

 exiDected. 



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

 him suffering acute pain, with great swelling around the 

 coronet. The foot was examined thoroughl}^, and the diag- 

 nosis was fracture of the pedal bone, and immediate slaughter 

 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. 

 Hurrell 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. 

 Poulticing and antiseptic dressings were continued until 

 August 16, 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 3i inches long, and vary- 

 ing in width from | inch to Ih 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.E.C.V.S., Veterinary Journal, vol. xxxi., p. 324. 

 t Ihid., vol. v., p. 408. 



