FRACTURE OF THE SESAMOID BONE. 
163 
of the ventricles. All parts appeared to be correspondingly 
enlarged. 
There was a small quantity of serum in the abdomen. 
The bladder I did not see, it having been thrown away 
before I arrived. 
FRACTURE OF THE SESAMOID BONE. 
By D. B. Howell, M.R.C.V.S., Reading. 
As fracture of the sesamoid bone is of very rare occurrence, 
1 forward the particulars of a case presenting several pe¬ 
culiarities which I recently met with. 
About two years since, as J. J. Blandy, Esq., Highgrove, 
was out with the South Berks hounds, riding an aged brown 
gelding, the beau-ideal of a first-class weight-carrying hunter, 
they ran very fast across a turnip-field, in which the roots 
were very large, when the horse forcibly struck the near 
pastern against one of them, but it did not impede his course 
in the slightest degree. 
The next morning he was very lame, and, after prepara¬ 
tion, the joint was well rubbed with a powerful liquid 
blister. 
He was not hunted any more that season, and being sum¬ 
mered was again prepared for the chase. The first time he 
was hunted he went very fairly, but on the second occasion 
came home extremely lame. The pastern-joint was now 
enlarged all round, but no injury could be detected to the 
sesamoid bone, or, in fact, any other part of the leg. On 
January 13th, 1863, I fired him, and applied at intervals the 
Ung. Hydrarg. Biniod. At the commencement of the present 
season he went nearly free from lameness, being shod 
with a shoe gradually thickened from the toe backwards. 
On the 9th of December he was hunted for the first time, 
the meet being at Basildon, about eight miles from here. 
In jumping on to a bank, about six feet in height, his owner 
noticed he gave a peculiar grunt on landing, but he did not 
appear affected by it, and his rider was perfectly satisfied 
with his day's performance. 
He was brought quietly home, ate his food, and left com¬ 
fortable for the night as usual. The next morning he was 
exercised (walking only) and returned to his box. In the 
evening I was sent for, and found him apparently suffering 
