FRACTURE OF THE BONES OF THE FOOT OF A MARE. 219 
digestion ; Boerliaave, as an absorbent for the acid of the stomach ; 
Redi, as a substitute for teeth. According to Whytt, it is a 
mechanical irritation, adapted to the callous and insensible nature 
of the coats of the stomach. Spallanzani rejected all supposition 
of design or object, and thought that the stones were swallowed 
from mere stupidity. I think there is not much sagacity to be 
discovered in this opinion, when we consider that these stones are 
so essential to the due digestion of the corn, that birds grow lean 
without them, although they may be most copiously supplied with 
food. This paradoxical opinion has, however, been already refuted 
by Hunter and Fordyce. The use of swallowing these stones 
seems to me to consist in this, that they kill the grain, and deprive 
it of its vitality, which would otherwise resist the action of the 
digestive powers. Thus it has been found, that if the oats and 
barley given to horses are previously killed by heating the animal 
only requires half the quantity, and yet thrives equally. 
Blumenbach' s Comparative Anatomy . 
A CASE OF FRACTURE OF THE BONES OF THE 
FOOT OF A MARE. 
15th Feb. 1845. 
Sir, — I TAKE the liberty of sending you the coffin-bone of a 
mare that died in consequence of an injury done to her. She 
has been shod at my brother’s forge more than twelve months 
previous, and the owner says that he will make him pay the 
value of the mare, in consequence of her being pricked. 
The mare was sound on the 27th of January; but while going 
home, which is about three miles from Aberdeen, the same day, in 
a cart, she fell, and as soon as she arose was perceived to be very 
lame. She was brought to my brother’s forge on the morning 
after, very lame, and had her shoes examined ; the owner stating 
to some persons standing by that she fell last night in the cart 
and had sprained her leg, but not stating this to me, nor any of 
the workmen, while the mare was in the forge. 
I saw him in the course of the same day, and he then stated 
to me that his mare had fallen and sprained her leg, and asked 
what I thought he should do with her, but never asked me to go 
and examine her. I advised him to foment her leg two or three 
times a-day, and bandage it. 
I saw him on the 29th : he said she was no better. 
He brought her to town on the 31st, extremely lame. The leg 
was considerably swollen from the foot to the hock. I examined 
