328 COMMINUTED FRACTURE OF UPPER PASTERN BONES. 
as he had to pass through two villages, several people noticed 
that the mare was very lame. 
The man assures me that when he left the mare in the 
road to get assistance she was sound of the off leg, and that 
when he returned it was broken in a similar wav to the near 
one. He was trotting by the side of the road when he first 
perceived the lameness. 
There must have been some injury to the pastern bone of 
the near fore leg when the man ffrst noticed the mare lame, 
but to what extent I am unable to say. It may be a very 
remarkable circumstance, but I can readily believe it possible 
for the mare to fracture the off fore leg in her efforts to move 
on an uneven road with one fractured limb. 
Perhaps you would deem it right, in a case so singular as 
this, to have an analysis of the bone made by Professor 
Tuson, who, I understand, has succeeded Professor Morton as 
the Teacher of Chemistry and Veterinary Materia Medica, 
and who, as I am also informed, undertakes general analyses 
in the laboratory of the College. 
Report on the Analysis of the Fractured Pastern Bones. 
By B. V. Tuson. 
The following numbers represent the relative per-eentage 
quantities of organic and inorganic constituents contained in 
the fractured pastern bones, and the average composition of 
healthy bone of the horse : 
• 
Fractured 
pastern bone. 
(Tuson.) 
Healthy bone of 
the horse. 
(Von Bibra.) 
Organic matter (gelatine, &c.) 
39-59 
31*96 
Inorganic matter (phosphate of lime, 
carbonate of lime, &c.) . 
60-41 
68-04 
100- 
100- 
By comparing these two analyses it will be seen that the 
fractured bone contains rather more than seven and a half per 
cent, less inorganic or earthy matter than, according to Von 
Bibra, healthy bone of the horse does. This circumstance, I 
believe, may possibly account for the fracture, as a diminu¬ 
tion of earthy matter in bone is often productive of a 
diminution of strength. 
