278 
SOME CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
the right. By rectal examination, nothing abnormal was de¬ 
tected 5 ; no painful point in the pelvis. This examination showed 
that there was no complete fracture. Bnt the soreness of the 
stifle and of the thigh, the swelling of these parts seemed to be 
the expression of an incomplete fracture of the femor, on ac¬ 
count of the violent fall on the pavement. Still, the immobility 
of the lame leg, its shortening, made ns think that the lesion was 
located in the coxo-femoral joint, perhaps an incomplete disloca¬ 
tion. However, the animal was placed in slings and continued 
cold irrigation applied on the swollen parts. This treatment 
was carried on for five days. After that time the swelling, which 
marked the hip joint, had disappeared, and this was exposed, 
deformed. There was a projection more marked than in the 
normal state ; in front of it a depression, which did not exist on 
the opposite side. In placing the hand over the deformed part 
and moving the leg forward and backward, outward and inward, 
no crepitation was detected. The movements of the leg were very 
limited, always very painful, and it was absolutely impossible to 
raise the lame leg and carry it backwards in extension. Rectal 
exploration, made again, gave negative results. However, the 
deformation of the left hip joint, the abolishment or at least the 
diminution of the active mobility of the leg, the shortening of 
the same, all decided us to consider the case as one of hip luxation, 
which we believed incomplete on account of the small amount of 
shortening and the small extent of the articular deformity. An 
application of the charge of Lebas was put on, the animal kept 
in slings until he put weight on his left hind leg without hesita¬ 
tion. It took six weeks to reach that point. At that time the 
lameness was yet very great in walking—the only gait the animal 
could take. The muscles of the thigh were emaciated, the horse 
walked by small steps, sideway. About three months from the 
date of the injury, the animal had recuperated some of his move¬ 
ments. He could trot, but was quite lame. The lameness in¬ 
creased by exercise. The abduction was very limited. In stand¬ 
ing the animal rested his toe principally on the ground and 
the leg had a rotatory position inwards. The horse]was turned 
out. Seven months from the accident, he was no longer lame 
walking or trotting ; the hip joint was very much deformed. He 
resumed his work, making 15, 20 and sometimes 30 or 35 kilo¬ 
meters a day in trotting. His hip remained in the same con¬ 
dition. 
[to be continued.] 
