FRACTURE OF OS METACARPUS MAGNUM OF A HORSE. 725 
were increased, tlie head resting frequently on the ground, 
faeces harder, and the effusion about the wound a little more 
extensive. Having enlarged the outer opening and drawn 
the probe gently across the bone, I felt a small ridge, which 
I believed must be caused by fracture and slight displace¬ 
ment. There was still no pain whatever evinced by pressure 
on any part except close by the skin wound. I now placed 
the animal in the swing,” as the owner called it, adminis¬ 
tered a purgative, and applied a smart blister over a consider¬ 
able part of the skin covering the injured bone, with a view 
of causing very general swelling, which would form the most 
effective bandage that could be applied, ordered the tincture 
of aconite still to be given in water, and left. 
Visiting on the iTth, I found the cathartic acting freely, 
the drugged water being drunk, the patient’s appetite im¬ 
proved, the blister well up,’]swelling all round the bone, a free 
discharge of healthy pus from the wound, and yet evidences 
of severe suffering remained. 
About this time I had a visit from my talented friend and 
predecessor, Mr. James Storrar, M.R.C.V.S., Chester, who, 
on the 19th, accompanied me to see this interesting case. 
He concurred with me as to the nature of ailment and method 
of treatment, but expressed grave doubts as to ultimate re¬ 
covery. 
For the next fortnight I saw the horse twice a week, and 
little change took place, either in general symptoms or local 
appearances, with the exception of the breaking forth of 
several new openings, on a line with each other, on both sides 
of the bone, all giving vent to a stream of healthy pus. These 
openings were gently cleaned from time to time, and dressed 
with diluted carbolic acid; the blistered surface was kept 
soft with an oily, anodyne liniment. In addition to grass, 
the food consisted of boiled barley and bran mashes, and into 
these latter an occasional diuretic powder was mixed. The 
pulse being lowered, the tincture of aconite was now dis¬ 
pensed with. 
On the ord of July the case assumed a new and more 
formidable aspect. All around the knee of the affected 
limb a good deal of effusion had taken place, and by the 6th 
the swelling had increased and extended upwards to the 
axilla, and covered a large portion of the sternum; so enor¬ 
mous was it that the elbow and contiguous parts were pushed 
far apart from the side of the chest. The head, which for 
some time had been kept up sprightly, was now a disfigured 
mass ; the eyes were shut up, with swollen eyelids, by knock¬ 
ing against the wall, and a lump nearly as large as a man’s 
