494 
FRACTURE OF THE CARPUS OF A MARE. 
the vascular structures at the toe of the pedal bone had been 
completely worn away by the friction on the ground. 
I am, Gentlemen, 
Yours very faithfully. 
To the Editors of the 4 Veterinarian .’ 
FRACTURE OF THE CARPUS OF A MARE. 
By J. B. Henderson, M.R.C.V.S., London. 
On July 3d, an aged brown mare, three parts bred, was 
placed under my care for treatment, in consequence of being 
very lame of the near fore leg. She was suffering intense 
pain, and the knee-joint was much swollen. Although there 
was a mark of an abrasion of the skin, which had apparently 
existed for some time, it was nevertheless my opinion that 
the lameness, &c., arose from recent injury. The scar inclined 
to the outer side of the knee, whereas the swelling was most 
prominent on the inner side of the joint. 
I was informed that since the lameness the limb had been 
constantly fomented and the knee poulticed, and that the 
mare had been kept on a low diet. Upon inquiring as to 
the cause of the swelling, I learned that three days since she 
was ridden by her owner, rather a heavy man, along distance 
on the road, and had been galloped part of the way. She 
performed the journey very well until she arrived at 
Hyde Park Corner, about a mile and a half from home, when 
she suddenly became so lame that the owner was obliged to 
dismount and lead her the rest of the way. 
On a careful examination of the joint I came to the con¬ 
clusion that there was a fracture, and spoke of the propriety 
of having the mare destroyed. My diagnosis took the owner 
by surprise and 1 consented to wait a few days before giving 
a positive opinion, and especially as it did not appear to be 
a case of ordinary fracture of the carpus, namely , involving 
the process of the metacarpal bone, which gives insertion to 
the extensor tendons. 
I must confess too that I became less positive of the cor¬ 
rectness of my diagnosis, when I compared the crepitation 
of the injured knee with several healthy ones; for under any 
circumstances, the motion of the bones, one upon the other, 
may be heard when manipulating the knee of a horse. 
As there was a doubt concerning the precise nature of the 
