424 
SINGULAR CASE OF FATAL EMPHYSEMA. 
Athelstan to export horses was continued, in particular as regarded 
stallions. 
In the reign of Elizabeth the whole kingdom could not supply 
2000 horses to form our cavalry. It was, probably, in consequence 
of this deficiency that our importation of foreign stock took place, 
which gradually improved the native breed. In the reign of 
James, horse-racing became fashionable throughout England. It 
was a favourite diversion of the Stuarts, and much encouraged by 
them. Cromwell did not forget that necessary appendage, a stud 
of race horses. By instituting royal plates at the restoration, ad¬ 
ditional encouragement was given to horse-racing, and much emu¬ 
lation was promoted among breeders, with the judicious view of per¬ 
fecting and extending a race of horses fit for the road, the chase, and 
for war—'While an enlightened policy allowed free exportation. 
From this period to the middle of the last century the system of re¬ 
novation from the different original foreign stocks has been occa¬ 
sionally adopted; the consequence has been a decided superiority 
over the parent stock from each country, and a peculiar breed of 
our own, of all denominations, of superior proportions, speed, power, 
and utility. 
Having traced the horse to a period when it is well known to 
all, as circumstantially as can be expressed in so limited a space, 
in continuation of the subject I will, in a future number, offer some 
observations on the distinguishing characteristics of the different 
breeds of horses, foreign and domestic, and conclude with some 
practical observations on the hereditary dispositions to malforma¬ 
tions, and the necessity of selecting such animals for breeding as 
come nearest to the standard of desired perfection. 
[To be continued.] 
SINGULAR CASE OF FATAL EMPHYSEMA. 
By Mr. Francis Smith, late of Kimholton. 
We lost a patient in rather a singular manner in the spring of 
1836. Mr. Dickens had a young thorough-bred horse, and wished 
me to ride him with the hounds. We met at Swineshead Wood, 
and found, as we went away at the best pace for about three miles, 
the wind blowing strong, and the running being against the wind. 
On coming to a check, a gentleman remarked to me, “ Your 
horse is a fast one, but your girths are too tight—^they will cut him 
in two.” On dismounting, I was surprised to see a quantity of 
air on the near side extravasated from the elbow to the sheath, 
and which, distending the skin on each side of tlie girths, gave 
them the appearance of cutting him in two, although, in fact, they 
were loose. 
