326 COMMINUTED FRACTURE OF UPPER PASTERN BONES. 
it was much enlarged ; its walls were thickened, but pale in 
appearance. The auricles and ventricles seemed, however, to 
be of their natural capacity. 
Query. —Had the application to the skin anything to do 
in hastening on the animal’s death ? 
REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF A COMMINUTED 
FRACTURE OF THE UPPER PASTERN BONES 
OF BOTH FORE LEGS OF A MARE. 
By Geo. Wentworth, M.R.C.V.S., Great Grimsby. 
I forward for your inspection the lower portion of both 
fore legs of a mare which met with a singular accident a few 
days ago. 
The subject of this remarakble case was a well-bred mare, six 
years old, the property of Marmaduke Clark, Esq., of Little 
Coates. The groom, being sent on an errand about twelve miles 
from home, rode this mare; and afterproceeding about ten miles 
on his journey, and when trotting by the side of the road, she 
suddenly became very lame of the near fore leg. The groom, 
thinking she had picked up either a nail or a stone, examined 
her foot; but not finding any of the kind, he rode slowly 
on, and after proceeding another mile or so the mare im¬ 
proved in her going, and walked nearly sound. Arriving at 
the place, she was put into a stable, and after waiting an 
hour he commenced his journey home. He rode her slowly 
for about three miles, when the lameness so much increased 
that he called at a village, and got a blacksmith to examine 
her foot, but as the smith did not find any cause for the lame¬ 
ness, the groom took themare aboutthreemilesfurtheron,when 
he heard a sudden snap, and immediately the inferior portion 
of the metacarpal bone of the near fore leg was protruded 
through the skin. This occurred about a hundred yards from 
a farm-yard, whither he went for assistance, and returning to 
the mare, he was astonished to find the metacarpal bone of 
the offi ore leg was also protruding through the skin; in fact, 
the mare was standing on the ends of the metacarpals, both 
pastern bones being fractured. The mare was destroyed 
immediately. 
I have not interfered with the position of the parts, but it 
will be seen by you that the large pastern bones of both fore 
legs are fractured into a great number of pieces. In all proba¬ 
bility, a fracture, without displacement, took place in the near 
