TYING UP A HORSE AFTER BEING BLISTERED. 711 
wards upon the part affected, under Mr. F.’s directions, and turned 
out to grass. 
In about a fortnight after the accident, he was found so lame in 
the field, that they had great difficulty in getting him home. My 
son was immediately sent for to go down to see him. He found 
him labouring under such an extent of sympathetic fever as threat¬ 
ened his existence, and so lame as to be almost immovable. On 
examining the hip, he ascertained that it was fractured, but to what 
extent could not then be known. Vigorous antiphlogistic measures 
were had recourse to, the general irritation and fever subsided, 
and all appeared going on favourably until the fourth day, when 
the animal relapsed, and died on the following morning. 
On a post-mortem examination, the trochanter major of the fe¬ 
mur on the near side was fairly shivered to atoms. There was a 
fracture right through the acetabulum, and also across the body of 
the ileum, which forms the floor for the mass of the glutei muscles 
to rest upon. On the same side another fracture extended through 
the symphysis pubis, and the ileum also on the off-side had re¬ 
ceived a corresponding fracture through its body, similar to that 
on the near-side, shewing most astonishingly what direful and ex¬ 
tensive fractures may occur, not only from direct force operating 
upon certain parts, but likewise from the effects of concussion, 
and the irregular and powerful action of muscles directed upon 
parts unprepared to receive their impulse. 
There was great extravasation of blood in the pelvis, from the 
bones having, after becoming displaced, lacerated some of the large 
bloodvessels; so that the animal died not only from the effects of 
irritative fever, but likewise from internal hemorrhage. I forgot 
to state, that when the horse was down it could not get up again, 
but when raised by the slings it could then stand. 
This case is a valuable one to the young student, inasmuch as 
it shews that extensive fractures may exist for a fortnight, or I 
have known them for three weeks, without developing themselves, 
not being accompanied with either much pain or attendant inflam¬ 
mation and swelling, nor even much affecting progression; nor 
has its existence been capable of being detected until the animal 
has displaced the bones by its efforts in rising from its bed. 1 
have even known horses with a fractured tibia travel a distance 
of three miles and back three times in a fortnight before the bones 
have been displaced. After this detail, Mr. Editor, I think you 
will agree with me, that if this poor animal had been tied up to 
the rack in the usual way, no such accident could have occurred; 
and that it clearly proves the old and general plan of that mode of 
fastening horses, under such circumstances, to be the safest and 
the most secure. 
t 
