408 DISEASES OF THE HORSE’S FOOT 
there was no evidence bearing on the cause, as is often 
the case, and at times this comes to light when least 
expected. 
‘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 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.+ Here the cause was presumably galioping 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 34 inches long, and vary- 
ing in width from 4 inch to 14 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. 824. 
+ Ibid., vol. v., p. 408. 
