980 LIVERPOOL VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
os coronse are not so frequent in my practice, but if of a compound 
character I have the animal at once destroyed ; if only of a simple 
longitudinal character I treat them the same as fractures of the os 
suffraginis, and with the same success, the symptoms being precisely 
the same. A very good case came under my notice about a month 
ago ; an aged grey mare was brought in from work very lame in 
the near fore-leg. After carefully examining the foot and leg, I 
came to the conclusion that there was a simple longitudinal fracture 
of the os coronae. The mare being old, and having large side 
bones and extensive body deposit all down the outside of both the 
os sulfragines, and curving inwards so as to interfere somewhat 
slightly with the action of the flexor pedis tendon when at work, I 
had her destroyed, not that I thought there would be any difficulty 
in treating the fracture, but she was not worth it. Th e post-mortem 
appearances proved that my diagnosis was correct, and after ex- 
amining the bones, I have no doubt that you will concur in my 
prognosis. 
Causes . — In hind pasterns, concussion from being suddenly pulled 
up ; in the fore from a false step. Fractures of the os pedis I have 
never seen, but I have had several cases of fracture of the os navi- 
culare, but in all instances having known that the horses were pre- 
viously suffering from navicular disease, I did not think it advisa- 
ble to treat them, and at once had them destroyed. Fractures of 
the metacarpal, radial, metatarsal, and tibial bones are not unfre- 
quent in my practice, but as they are almost invariably of a com- 
pound character, and arise from one cause, viz., being kicked by 
other horses in the stable, the Company having no stalls but swing- 
ing bails, and the great difficulty there is in bringing the broken 
bones into apposition, also the greater one in keeping them so, I 
have never yet been able to recommend the treating of a single case. 
1 have placed several specimens on the table for your inspection. 
The next case of fracture to which I will draw your attention is 
with me of very rare occurrence ; it was a fracture of the inferior 
third of the tibia, commencing in the articulation and taking an 
oblique direction to outer and upper part. The horse was first seen 
lame in the morning, not being able to put its foot to the ground, 
and evidently suffering great pain. There was no swelling about 
the bone, but the hock joint was much swollen, and in moving it 
about I could hear a slight crepitation. Considering the age of the 
animal, and the difficulty of binding the bones sufficiently tightly 
together so as to favour union, also the important character of the 
joint involved, I had it destroyed. Fractures of the femur are, I 
believe, of comparatively rare occurrence ; there is a specimen on the 
table of one fractured at its shaft in an oblique direction. The 
horse had been thrown down whilst at work, and after getting up 
was noticed to be very lame, and sent to the stable, where I shortly 
afterwards saw it. It was standing, but evidently suffering great 
pain, the thigh being swollen to twice its ordiuary size. 1 got a 
man to move the leg gently whilst I applied my ear to the part, 
when it was evident that a fracture with displacement had taken 
