23 
CASE OF DISLOCATION OF THE PATELLA 
OF A HOUSE. 
By C. Percivall, Student of Veterinary Medicine. 
The case which I am about to record occurred the latter 
end of last August. To me, being a junior student in the 
profession, it presented an amount of interest which I have 
not found in the ordinary cases of lameness that have come 
under my notice. It was one of ef Dislocation of the Patella / 5 
and the subject of it was a young and valuable horse of the 
cart-breed. The man left him to all appearance quite right 
the night previous, but on his coming to the stable in the 
morning found him very lame and scarcely able to move: 
He called in his blacksmith and farrier, who, attaching great 
importance to the case, suggested that Mr. Cartledge should 
be sent for. On our arrival, we found the horse standing 
with the near hind leg extended backwards as far as the 
muscles w r ould allow, and on attempting to move him across 
the standing he fell. The plan adopted for the reduction of 
the dislocation somewhat resembles that of which my father 
speaks in the first volume of his c Hippopathology . 5 A 
hobble was placed round the fetlock of the affected limb, with 
a rope attached to it. The rope was then brought between 
the fore legs, and fastened to the collar, which had been put 
on for the purpose, by which means the leg was pulled up- 
wards and forwards, and kept in that position, while Mr. 
Cartledge employed pressure on the outside of the stifle, and 
thus the bone became replaced. After this an active blister 
was applied over the part, and a dose of physic administered. 
The hobble and rope were left on, to prevent the possibility 
of the limb being again projected backwards; and the animal 
was otherwise prevented from lying down. As he improved 
daily, the rope was gradually slackened so as to relax the 
part, and in the course of a short time, the effects of the 
blister having subsided, the horse had regained the natural 
use of the leg, and was put to gentle light work. 
I am, Gentlemen, 
Your obedient servant. 
Sheffield; Bee. 5 , 1856 . 
