OF THE SESSAMOID BONES. 635 
applications, but without avail; at length the firing-iron was used, 
and a complete cure was effected. 
In the third case, three horses in the same stable were attacked 
at the same time. They had all previously laboured under acute 
diseases of the chest. Bleedings, local and general, with emollient 
cataplasms, effected a cure in about two months. 
The fourth case relates to a horse which had this peculiar in¬ 
flammation all round. He was down ten days—his limbs were 
agitated by convulsive movements, his body was covered with per¬ 
spiration, and the pulse was hard and quick. The usual means 
were resorted to, and in less than three weeks the disease disap¬ 
peared from the hind extremities, but it was eight months before 
he was sound and strong in the fore limbs. 
In the fifth case all four legs were attacked. The hinder legs 
soon began to assume their natural position, but, in despite of blis¬ 
ters and firing, the swelling and lameness continued to increase 
in the fore legs until the flexor tendons became permanently re¬ 
tracted. The pastern joint was doubled forward and fixed, and the 
horse walked entirely upon his toes. 
The division of the tendons was effected on the right fore leg. 
The foot returned to its natural position, and the horse could walk 
on that leg with a degree of facility that seemed almost incredible. 
This fortunate result induced us to conceive of the possibility of a 
complete cure by a division of the tendons on the other leg; but 
we were soon compelled to abandon that delusive hope,for the good 
effects which we had produced gradually disappeared, until, in less 
than two months, the limb that had been operated on returned to 
its former unnatural position, and the animal was destroyed. The 
tendons and neighbouring parts had acquired the morbid structure 
already described. There was no thoracic or abdominal lesion, 
except some adhesion of the lungs to the costal pleura and to the 
diaphragm, the consequence of the pleurisy which had preceded the 
disease of the leg. 
M. Bouley says that he could introduce numerous other cases, 
but he will confine himself to a few remarks on the etiology of the 
disease. 
The coincidence between acute articular rheumatism and inflam¬ 
mation of the serous membranes of the thoracic viscera, are cir¬ 
cumstances of frequent occurrence in the human being. This coinci¬ 
dence, however, until the methods of exploration of the chest lately 
introduced, was rather guessed at than definitively proved. The 
serous inflammations of the viscera which are oftenest complicated 
with articular rheumatism in the human being are, in the order of 
their frecjuency, pericarditis, pleurisy, and, more rarely, peritonitis 
and meningitis. These phlegmasia' sometimes manifest them- 
