FRACTURE OF THE OS HYOIDES. 
669 
decreased, and a little motion of the under lip, which made 
the owner think him a little better. I again scarified the lips 
*and tongue, and obtained a plentiful discharge; but there 
was no further alteration until four o’clock, when, having 
other patients to visit, I was again compelled to leave him. 
Chancing to be sent for to a violent case of cholic, which 
detained me until four o’clock on Sunday morning, I was too 
much knocked up to visit the colt until about half-past eleven, 
when I found him lying down, leaning on his tongue, with 
his head in about the same condition as before. I made him 
get up. He was exceedingly tucked up, and very weak, and 
his difficulty of breathing was excessive. I saw he had not 
long to live. He died about half-past one. 
On Monday I made the post-mortem. The whole of the 
cellular tissue, and of the head and tongue, were filled with 
serum. The vessels of the off side were very much congested, 
as also were the muscles; and periosteum of the lower jaw 
came off as though it had been boiled. The whole of the 
mucous membranes of the part were the colour of mahogany, 
as likewise were the buccal and Schneiderian, and those of 
the larynx and pharynx. On carefully removing the lower 
jaw, the os hyoides was found fractured , as you see it. 
There are three pieces ; the smallest, you will observe, is the 
dentoid process, which was torn out of the skull, taking a 
portion of the plate of bone with it. 
This appears to me to be a very curious case. It is one 
in which certainly no good can be done ; and on witnessing 
the symptoms, it appears to be the veterinary surgeon’s duty 
to order the animal to be at once destroyed. But what 
could be the cause of it ? This animal was particularly quiet, 
and a favorite of all who had to do with him, and was regu- 
larly worked up to Thursday night, and, as usual after baiting, 
was turned out to grass. Perhaps, sir, you can throw some 
light on the subject. 
I am, Sir, 
Yours respectfully. 
Nov. 14 , 1853 . 
* # * We have no recollection of ever hearing, seeing, or read- 
ing of such a case as the one before us : it appears to us to be 
unique in Hippopathology. What is likely to have been the 
cause or occasion of a fracture of the os hyoides, becomes 
here a speculative question, since no clue whatever appears, 
in the case, to account for it. That its origin was injury 
of some kind seems evident ; and that the injury was oc- 
casioned by external , not internal, means, seems hardly less 
