THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. XXIV, 
No. 279. 
MARCH 1851. 
Third Series, 
No. 39. 
FRIGHTFUL FRACTURE OF THE HEAD, 
WITH DESTRUCTION OF ONE SIDE OF THE FACE AND ORBIT. 
This appalling accident occurred so long as two years ago, 
and would have been given to the veterinary public imme- 
diately after its occurrence, had it not been deemed advisable 
to await its issue; there appearing at the time no other fate im- 
pending over the unfortunate subject of it save that of death, 
either as the natural result of the severe lesions inflicted, or as 
forced at our hands from the improbability of restoration. 
In the summer of the year 1849, an officer of the First Life 
Guards was riding his charger — a young and spirited horse — 
along Tylney-street, Park-lane ; when in passing another officer 
of the corps in the same street, who, like himself, was taking 
his promenade a cheval , his horse received, in play, a flick 
from the whip of the latter. This excitation set the animal off 
beyond the power of control of his rider, when in galloping, 
or rather plunging — for the animal was very fresh at the time 
— through the windings of this narrow and dangerous street, 
he encountered, by the side of Lord Dinorben’s house, a car- 
riage in the act of turning into Tylney-street from South Audley- 
street ; to avoid which he found himself compelled, in a hurry, 
to pull his horse upon the flag pavement bordering the house, 
which on this side happens to be flanked by iron rails. Upon 
the smooth pavement the horse suddenly slipped up, and fell 
with a tremendous crash against the spikes of the iron rails, 
coming to the ground with his rider’s leg underneath him, hurt- 
ing his master a good deal, though not seriously ; while the 
near side of his own head became impaled upon the spikes, ex- 
tensively lacerating the soft parts, and fracturing the bones as 
well. 
From the scene of the accident the horse was led home — to 
Hyde-park barracks — and I was immediately sent for. This 
was about five o’clock P.M., on the 9th June, 1849. Beholding 
VOL. xxiv. s 
