DISLOCATION OF THE FEMUR. 
563 
bone was recoguised as situated on the brim of the aceta- 
bulum. Considering that the round ligament must be torn 
asunder, the prognosis was unfavorable. Thrice was an 
operation attempted for its reduction. At the third I was 
present, and M. St. Cyr succeeded, with the assistance of 
myself and twenty students, to get the head of the femur 
back into the acetabulum. To effect this, a long piece of 
webbing* was passed round the abomen, another between 
the thighs, catching the pubis, like I did in the cow, with 
the breeching ; other two portions of webbing were fixed to 
the lower part of the limbs. All hands were ordered to pull 
steadily, and the students that pulled directly on the leg 
moved alternately forwards and backwards, when in moving 
forwards, exerting great force at the time, the dislocation was 
reduced with a distinctly audible smack. The horse was let 
loose ; he quietly rose, could use his limb, and was led to 
his stable. 
This horse would most probably have been cured had the 
owner not been allowed to remove him from the infirmary 
on the 3d of November. The poor animal was put to work 
immediately, and, as a natural consequence, the luxation re- 
curred. He was brought back to the college, and, through the 
kindness of Professor Rey, I obtained him for the purpose of 
instituting an experiment on pyoemia. He died from the 
experiment, on the 23d of November. I had injected pus in the 
mesenteric veins, and produced multiple abscesses in the liver. 
On dissecting the hip-joint, I found all the tissues around 
involved in inflammation. The acetabulum was filled with 
pus. The round ligament was torn asunder, and the portion 
of it attached to the round bone enlarged and softened. The 
capsular ligament w T as lacerated, and the head of the femur 
rested on the anterior part of the brim of the cotyloid cavity. 
The head itself was partially absorbed, a groove having been 
formed ; in it was lodged the iliac portion of the acetabulum, 
which was itself considerably rubbed down. 
This case, gentlemen, contrasts with that of the cow, in 
that there was no need for the operator to attend to the 
drawing the head of the femur outwards. It simply had to 
be made to roll off of the prominent ridge limiting the socket. 
I wish you to observe the number of men that were required 
to overcome the powerful glutei. You must not run away 
* Webbing about two inches wide is constantly used in France, instead 
of the accessory leather straps that we are accustomed to, in fixing limbs, 
when a horse is cast ; and from its general usefulhess, easy adaptation, and 
nice texture, I vastly prefer it to ready made leather tackle, or more 
clumsy rope. 
