547 
FRACTURED LIMBS OF HORSES. 
By JOHN Nelson, VS., Highfield, Sheffield. 
[Continued from the last Number, page 506.] 
CASE IV, July 5, 1838. — Mrs. Dungworth, Worlow Hall, near 
Sheffield, desired me to see a horse that was “ lame.” I accord- 
ingly went; and, on examining the near fore leg, found that there 
was a fracture about the middle of the humerus. I was informed 
that the horse had been kicked on the part about a month ago ; 
but, not becoming very lame, he had been worked almost all the 
time since ; and had that morning been to Sheffield, a distance of 
five miles, for manure, without going lame ; when, being turned 
into the homestead, the horse suddenly fell, and could not use his 
leg afterwards. The horse being aged, I advised them to destroy 
him, which was done, but I did not take out the bone. 
Case V, Oct. 14, 1843. — Mr. Sidney Oldall, Coal Aston, near 
Sheffield, wished me to see an aged mare, which the messenger 
informed me was “ lame from falling down in the field while at 
plough,” and that they had had “ much trouble to get her home.” 
I went with the messenger, and on my arrival found the mare 
standing apparently as though nothing was the matter ; but on 
attempting to turn her in the bail stall, either to the right or left, 
it was quite clear that all motive power was lost in the posterior 
extremities, for she would have fallen down with the least move- 
ment. I then pricked her with a pin on the back from the tail 
forward, but she shewed no symptoms of feeling until it came 
about to the commencement of the dorsal vertebrae. Pulse was 60, 
and tolerably full. I inquired if the mare had been thrown down, 
or put to any extra exertion the last few days ; when Mr. Oldall 
informed me that she had not ; but that three nights ago, when she 
was in the pasture, an entire horse broke over the fence to her, 
and she had been much teazed by him in the course of the night; 
but nevertheless, said the owner, “ she has done her work as usual 
since.” I informed Mr. Oldall that I believed the mare’s back was 
broken ; that some part of the lumbar vertebrae had been fractured 
the night the entire horse got to her ; and that the fragments of 
bone had very likely divided in the act of turning at the ends of 
the lands while ploughing. I told Mr. Oldall that I thought the 
mare had better be destroyed. To this, however, he would not 
agree, she being a great favourite. I therefore put her into 
slings, and applied the usual remedies for five weeks, at the end 
