LUXATION OF THE PATELLA. 827 
marked “‘lots,” and he had reached the third stable, when his eye rested 
on a horse which seemed wrongly placed among such companions. It 
was lively, young, clean legged, short backed, well ribbed up—in fact, 
one of those rare creatures every inch of which seems made for serv- 
ice. The height was fifteen hands three inches; the color was a dark 
brown. The author tried in vain to discover if it had any “vice.” It 
appeared perfectly quiet. He examined the feet; he could detect no 
unsoundness. He went to the office and ascertained the price—twenty- 
four guineas! It was too cheap! Such an animal would be thrown 
away if sold for fifty guineas. ‘Would they give a warranty?” “It 
was not their custom to give any warranty.” ‘Had the horse megrims?” 
“No.” “Would they grant a trial?” ‘It was contrary to their rules.” 
Still the author wanted to buy; he would ‘deposit the cash, and if all 
proved right take the horse.” ‘They never granted trials; but there 
stood the owner—the writer could talk to him.” 
The person alluded to was lounging close to the writer’s elbow, and 
was habited in that half-blackleg, half-blackguard costume which charac- 
terizes the low London dealer. The contemplation of this individual 
did not improve any previous opinion of the matter. However, the 
man’s eye was firmly fixed upon that of his would-be customer, and, 
rather than encounter a disturbance, the author approached the fellow, 
to whom he repeated his request. The answers given were too similar 
to those received from the clerk for the likeness to be purely accidental. 
The dealer nevertheless saw a trial was imperative to convert the inquirer 
into a purchaser; and, rightly judging from appearance that there was 
little of the jocky in the writer’s attainments, reluctantly consented to 
afford the demanded test. 
The horse was specdily between the shafts of a very light gig. The 
man took the reins, placed the whip behind him, and we moved off at 
the gentlest of possible trots. No objection was taken to the pace; it 
gave the better opportunity of examining into the soundness. All was 
right in that particular. The steps were loud and even. After some 
time, during which the man frequently inquired if “I had had trial 
enough now?” we left the paved streets, but no entreaty could cause the 
pace to be improved. At length we came to a rise in the ground, and, 
as it was approached, my companion turned sulky. Hardly had the 
horse began to ascend the inequality, before it suddenly stood quite 
still. The gig was brought to with a jerk, which almost threw both of 
its occupants upon the footboard. The author was the first out of the 
vehicle; there stood the horse—the leg out, the foot flexed, the head 
erect—displaying the evident symptom of luxation of the patella. 
An inn was fortunately near the spot. To the yard of the hostelry 
