312 LIVERPOOL VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
which had come on suddenly after he had done his work ; he had 
been doing his ordinary work all day, and appeared in his usual 
health ; he was eight or nine years old, and in good working condi- 
tion. I found him suffering acutely in the near hind leg, which 
appeared perfectly unable to sustain the slightest weight. The 
horse was constantly trying to put weight upon the limb, but it*was 
as utterly unable to bear weight as if the femur was broken ; we 
had the greatest possible difficulty in preventing him from going 
down ; the horse was blowing very much indeed ; the perspiration 
was running down his face, and down all his legs ; on examining 
him there was nothing whatever to be seen or felt to indicate the 
exact seat of lameness. The conclusion I came to was, that the 
horse had sustained a most violent sprain about the hip joint ; this, 
the attendant contended was impossible. I bled the animal freely 
in the thigh ; gave tincture of opium, two ounces at a dose several 
times during the night; had hot cloths applied to the hip and loins. 
I also gave eight or ten drachms of aloes, repeated enemas, and 
stayed with him all night. On the following morning he was a little 
easier ; the day after still better ; and in a week quite well and at 
work. 
Case Second. — A nice gig horse, about twelve years old, fell lame 
suddenly in his ordinary work ; when seen he was suffering intensely 
in near hind leg; in less than two hours both legs were affected, and 
the horse could not stand ; he fought dreadfully, and it took several 
men to keep him from injuring himself severely. He was put in 
slings, and treated by bleeding and anodynes, physic, and continual 
fomentations to the loins and hips, and applications of mustard and 
turpentine to his spine. All proved utterly unavailing : he died on 
the third or fourth day. The post-mortem examination showed a 
remarkably pale colour of the longissimus dorsi muscles ; they were 
soft, almost pulpy, and for twelve or fourteen inches they were 
evidently completely separated from the other muscles by the effu- 
sion which had taken place. 
Case Third. — About eight years ago, a cart horse belonging to a 
carrier in this town, became suddenly affected with lameness in the 
off hind leg ; the symptoms were the same as those before described; 
his sufferings were terrible indeed. I thought at first that the 
patella was out. I tried all manner of means to reduce what I 
thought to be the dislocation. I called to my aid another veterinary 
surgeon ; we tried, but to no purpose ; we at last dismissed the idea. 
This horse, after everything had been done to relieve his suffering, 
died on the fourth day. I had no chance of making a post-mortem 
examination. 
Case Fourth. — A lorry horse, in November, 1869 , was in his usual 
health, took a load into town, not a heavy one, came back all 
right, had not been slipping or drawing hard. After the lorry 
had been drawn up to unload, and the horse had stood a minute or 
two, he was observed to be a little lame on the near hind leg ; in a 
few minutes he became much worse, and it was with very great 
difficulty indeed that he was got into his stable, only a few yards off. 
