SEVERAL CASES OF FRACTURE. 
275 
was immediately sent for. When I arrived, I at once saw 
what had taken place, but the animal being very wild, I could 
not come near him. Every time he stirred the ends of the 
bones could be heard grating against each other. Indeed, 
I was afraid the bones would come through the skin before 
I could get a boot made, which I lost no time in doing. I 
had it made of very stout leather, ten inches deep, and wide 
enough to admit of tow and a bandage, and to lace on the 
outer side of the leg. I then had two iron bands, three- 
quarters of an inch wide, and a quarter of an inch thick, 
rivetted to the boot, about an inch and a half from each other, 
and reaching two inches below the leather, with holes for a 
strap. After lacing the boot, I placed a bandage round it, and 
then the strap, which brought the foot more into the right 
position, where it remained until well, which was in a very 
few weeks, and with little trouble, as the animal was left 
almost to take his chance. 
Remarks. — I am quite aware that many cases of fracture 
would not repay the owner for the trouble and expense in- 
curred ; but, if the animal be young and valuable, it would be 
always worth a trial. We had an entire horse that travelled 
with us for several years, that was known by the name of “ the 
broken-thighed horse.” The accident happened when he 
was young. It generally happens, however, that before w r e 
are called in it is too late ; at least such has been the com- 
mon case with me. I have been in practice fifteen years, 
and have had as many cases of broken bones, but am sorry 
to say that I was not always so fortunate as to arrive just 
before the bones became separated ; and frequently I have 
found the ends thereof through the skin, and the surround- 
ing parts so lacerated that the animal has been destroyed at 
once by my advice. 
Since the foregoing division of the journal was sent to 
press, we have received a communication from Mr. Blake- 
way, informing us that he was sent for on the 18 th ult. to 
see a horse belonging to J. B. Tierney, Esq., of Stourbridge, 
which fell suddenly very lame whilst being driven in his gig, 
and the owner thought he had sprained his fetlock while 
going over a slight grip, but on examination he found the 
os suffraginis fractured, and inspection after death showed 
the bone to be broken transversely and longitudinally in nine 
separate pieces. 
