474 
BREAK-DOWN. 
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would be considered too inferior in make to put on the feet 
of a London cab-horse (which is saying much), produce 
but per cent, of the lamenesses for which horses 
in the Prussian army are cast; whereas the author of the 
work on ( Domestic Animals/ &c., tells us that the shoe 
considered by the authorities in this country to be the best 
of its kind now in use produces upwards of 60 per cent. 
I must say that my experience would lead me to expect 
that Mr. Fleming, with the assistance of the army members 
of our profession, will be able to prove that somebody has 
made a mistake in their figures. 
I am, &c. 
To the Editors of c The Veterinarian 
CASE OF “ BREAK-DOWN.” 
By “ Argus.” 
A few mornings ago (about the middle of April) an officer 
rode up to my house to ask me to go and see a horse of his 
that had met with a severe accident on the race-course, while 
taking an ordinary training gallop. The impression on the 
owner’s mind was that the horse had fractured both his fore 
legs, but from his replies to questions I put to him I inferred 
that it was a case of complete break-down, and told him so. 
I also recommended him to shoot the animal at once, as I 
was busy, and could not well spare the time to ride out some 
three miles to see so evidently hopeless a case. He, however, 
begged of me to go, as the horse, an old Arab, was a favorite 
of his wife’s, and I might possibly see some chance of his 
recovering sufficiently to become even an old pensioner. I 
accordingly accompanied the owner, and found the case a 
much more hopeless one than I had anticipated. The horse 
was lying down when we got to the spot; he was in great 
pain, and very restless, and covered with perspiration. On 
his rising, the fetlocks of both fore legs came to the ground, 
the pastern and foot of each being turned outwards , resting 
horizontally along the ground. The lower end of the large 
metacarpal bone of the near fore leg was protruding through 
the skin and in contact with the ground. I advised the 
instant destruction of the poor brute, and shot him myself 
•at the request of the owner, who said he could not do it. 
Dissection of the fore legs revealed a rupture of the 
internal lateral ligaments of the fetlock-joints, also of the 
