[ &s* ] 
But though it may not be poffible, that the femur 
fhould be luxated by any force applied in a dire&ion 
parallel to that of the thigh, in an ereCt pofture of 
the body, it is not equally impoiiible it fhould be. 
dillocated by a force applied in a contrary direction.. 
For, in the above cafe, the blow was received on the 
upper and hinder part of the thigh, in a dire&ion 
forward, from the wheel of the chaife, which muft: 
neceflarily have a tendency to drive it round forward, 
and confequently cant the head of the femur out of 
the acetabulum, backwards,, where it is lefs deep 
than it is either above or below. On the fore part of 
the acetabulum, it is yet more (hallow, and therefore 
lefs force is required to diflocate it that way, and more 
efpecially, as there is on that fide lefs ftrength of 
mufcles to refift. 
It was probably a fortunate circumftance for this 
man, that I thought myfelf miftaken in my firft 
opinion of its being a diftocation ; for, had that been, 
clearly the cafe, I (hould, no doubt, have ufed every 
method, and every affiftance to be had, in order to 
have reduced it immediately ; and mod likely, while, 
the mufcles remained in their full ftrength, and con- 
tracting involuntarily, and that violently too, as they 
will fometimes do, upon attempting an extenfion of 
them, and under which circumftance, the mufcular 
fibres oftentimes rather break than give way, fhould 
have failed of being able to reduce it; and, in that 
cafe, the man muft have remained a cripple as long 
as he lived : whereas now, though five-and-twenty 
days from the time of the accident, the mufcles 
were fo much weakened, by his being confined to 
his bed, and wafted by his frequently repeated purges,. 
