62 INABILITY TO MASTICATE IN A HORSE. 
and in close proximity to the joint. Stimulating embroca- 
tions, with fomentations, &c., were employed for nine or ten 
days, but without benefit, as the animal still showed the same 
difficulty in moving his jaw, and was unable to take but a 
very small quantity of food. Under such circumstances it 
was determined to leave the case for a time to the 
“ Yis medieatrix naturse.” 
I may state in this place, that the animal had some time 
since met with an accident, by which the trachea was frac- 
tured and other injuries sustained, and which led to the neck 
becoming permanently distorted ; but as such cases are not 
very uncommon, I took but little notice of it. After an 
interval of about a fortnight, I again saw the patient. He 
was much in the same state as before, but the digestive and 
assimilative processes were now very imperfectly performed, 
and which I attributed chiefly to the horse not being able to 
masticate any food ; besides this, the motion of the jaw being 
limited, a sufficient flow of saliva was not excited in these 
attempts. He was thus compelled to exist almost wholly on 
oatmeal gruel, of which he took freely. 
Being somewhat in doubt as to the true pathology of the 
case, I resolved to send the horse to the Royal Veterinary 
College, with a view of obtaining the opinion of the pro- 
fessors. The case was minutely investigated both by Pro- 
fessor Spooner and Mr. Varnell, when it was ascertained 
that the sterno-maxillares muscles, in consequence of the 
injuries they had sustained near their sternal attachments, at 
the time the animal met with the accident, were rendered 
powerless as adjuvants in opening the mouth ; thus, throwing 
the whole of this function upon the stylo-maxillares and 
digastrici, and which of themselves they were unable to 
perform. The masseters and temporal muscles had thus lost 
their antagonists, besides which these muscles were likewise 
much atrophied. It was also the professors* opinion that no 
treatment was likely to be of bene^t in such a case. 
I have within the last few days learnt that the owner 
getting tired of nursing the animal, as he was unable to 
work, and was much out of condition, had also resolved to 
send him for sale by auction, which was done. It is more 
than probable that the animal is tolerably well known in the 
market, and that he has had several owners before coming 
into the possession of the person who brought him under 
my notice. 
