A VARIETY OF PRACTICAL CASES. 
21 
several good men present, a valuable cow, having very heavy 
quarters ; looked well, ate well, first visit, and considering that 
cows are very stubborn when assisting them in getting up, 
taking everything into consideration, I felt somewhat embar¬ 
rassed. We killed her and made a post-mortem. I immediately 
cut down for the articulation, and found a rupture of the coxo- 
femoral ligament and a dislocation. The head of the femur 
slipped under the anterior border of the ilium, and this ac¬ 
counted for no shortness nor the usual external prominence. 
We have had cases of dislocation before, but were in cows in 
ordinary flesh, and could make a diagnosis by external appear¬ 
ance and sense of touch. Simple fractures of the bones of the 
extremities in cows always adjust, and have good results. 
Fractures in the horse, especially if compound, I don’t pre¬ 
tend to treat, and think it of no avail; and to destroy them the 
proper thing to do. In fact, single fractures have not been very 
successful in my practice. A single fracture of the bones of the 
pelvis, if there is no particular displacement, make fair recoveries. 
I treat fractures in the usual way, place them in slings, correct 
the displacement, apply a bandage, cut pieces of paste-board 
and soak them in water, apply over the bandage, next another 
bandage, next splints, starch bandage, plaster of Paris bandage, 
etc. But the majority do no good again we say. What is the 
proper thing to say to the owner ? 
We will now relate to you two very similar cases which 
came under my observation during the past summer. 
Case No. I was a gray mare, 14 years old, 15 hands high, 
weighing about 1,100 pounds, a good family mare, belonging to 
an old lady. This mare was really worshipped by her owner 
and her daughters, and was considered a member of the family. 
The history of the case was as follows : She was used nearly 
every day in the buggy, and one day when driven by one of the 
daughters, she noticed an unsteady gait, but made her drive. 
The next morning I was called to see her, and not being at 
home, my student answered the call, who considered the trouble 
a light attack of azoturia. I saw her the next morning, and 
