510 RUPTURE OF THE PERFORANS TENDON. 
aperture, and the glistening edges of which, covered by a mucous 
membrane, indicated that it was of long standing. This mass 
of intestine being drawn back into the cavity from which it had 
escaped, permitted us to trace the passage of a portion of mesen¬ 
tery through the same opening, and which adhered by a consi¬ 
derably large surface to a portion of pleura covering a rib that 
had been formerly fractured, and the inaccurate but solid union 
of which had caused a considerable protuberance into the thoracic 
cavity. The fracture had been produced by a fall, which at the 
same time, doubtless, had caused the rupture of the diaphragm. 
During the four months that the horse had been in the squa¬ 
dron, it had not had the slightest colic, and was in good condi¬ 
tion. Astonished at the continuance of this healthy state, when 
there had for a long time existed so likely a cause of instantaneous 
death, we examined the abdomen very carefully, and we disco¬ 
vered on the diaphragmatic face of the liver a prominence which 
had until lately completely filled the aperture in the diaphragm. 
Journal Theorique, 1833, p. 27. 
Spontaneous Rupture of the Tendon of the Flexor 
Pedis-Muscle. 
By M. Pattre, 4 th Reg . of Cuirassiers. 
In October 1827, a strong mare, ten or twelve years old, was 
attacked by intense pneumonia, which yielded to the strict use 
of antiphlogistic treatment; but at the very moment that she 
began to be convalescent, we perceived that her hind fetlocks 
were swelled, hot, and tender—it was painful to her to stand, 
and which she indicated by constant groaning. The fetlocks 
were well fomented daily. Soon afterwards the animal, whose 
pasterns had been short, and who went on her toe, appeared to 
have them materially lengthened, and the fetlock came almost in 
contact with the ground; the whole of the hind quarters were 
lowered; she could with difficulty stand; we could almost see her 
waste away, and, there appearing to be no hope of her recovery, 
she was destroyed. 
Neither the chest nor the abdomen presented any thing worthy 
of being reported. I carefully examined the fetlocks, and ob¬ 
served that the cellular tissue was infiltrated—that the natural 
pearly whiteness of the tendons had given place to a yellow tint, 
so that they very much resembled the ligament of the neck. 
I cut longitudinally into the sessamoidean sheath, formed b y 
the tendon of the perforatus, and I saw that the perforans 
tendon was ruptured. The fibres of the disunited portions were 
of an unequal length, and had a fringed, ragged appearance: the 
synovial membrane enveloping that portion of the tendon pre- 
