XII. DISEASES OF THE HIND LIMB. 
A. DISEASES OF THE QUARTER. 
I.—INJURIES TO THE MUSCLES AND FASCIA OF THE 
QUARTER. 
(a) Strains and ruptures of the muscles of the quarter result from 
slipping, 1 earing or falling, and occasionally from over-exertion in 
moving heavy loads. Lameness usually follows, and may even prove 
incurable. 
In a case of extensive tearing of the biceps femoris muscle at its origin 
on the ischium and gluteal fascia there was no lameness, but the animal’s 
appearance suffered in consequence of the large depression that appeared 
at the site of injury. Another horse ruptured the semi-tendinosus muscle, 
producing a deep groove. The hind limb was afterwards carried and 
placed much in advance of its normal position. Lameness disappeared 
in two months. 
A horse which ruptured the gracilis muscle by jumping, showed 
lameness when the leg was off the ground (swinging leg lameness); the 
hip-joint appeared to sink and rise to an excessive extent, and the stifle 
and hock joints were but partially flexed each time the leg was advanced. 
Lameness disappeared in a few days, but the inside of the thigh revealed 
a permanent falling-in of the muscle. 
During a race a horse completely ruptured the semi-membranosus and 
adductor magnus, and to a partial extent the pectineus and adductor 
longus; severe lameness and marked swelling followed, and, treatment 
proving unsuccessful, the animal was killed. An army horse caught one 
of its hind feet in the ground whilst in the act of jumping and ruptured 
the superficial gluteus 8 or 4 inches in front of the hip-joint. No weight 
could he placed on the limb, and all the joints were flexed. Six weeks 
latei the hoise was able to walk, but remained lame for a long time 
afterwards. 
As a rule strains can only be recognised by the lameness they evoke ; 
the limb is dragged, the movement uncertain, the limb being thrown too 
far backwards or forwards, or to one side. Palpation sometimes reveals 
local pain. 
Muscular ruptures produce lameness of very varying severity and kind 
