116 
CASKS DEPARTMENT. 
A TUMOR ON THE FIBULA. 
By J. P. Klench, V.S., Stockton, Cal. 
On November 25th last I was shown a nice carriage horse, 
weighing about 1,300 pounds, and walking lame on the bind ] ight 
leg." When standing still the horse kept the leg raised most of 
the time, and would not extend it nor bring any weight upon it 
unless as lie was forced to move. On examination I found an en 
large men t of the synovial sac, located between the three an¬ 
terior patellar ligaments, but there was neither heat noi pain. 
About two inches below the head of the fibula I noticed 
a tumor of the apparent size* of an egg; it was hard, in¬ 
dolent, movable in all directions, and not causing any pain, unless 
it was pressed hard on the bone. 1 here was no infiltration nor 
induration of cellular tissue on and around the tumor. 
Diagnosis — The existence of this tumor brought to my mem¬ 
ory a horse that I operated upon about 18 months ago for a like 
tumor, located in the muscular portion of the anterioi extensoi of 
the phalanges. That tumor was blistered and fired several times 
hy ignoramuses, and had been existing for about two years. The 
horse was getting more lame, and the muscles of the femoral 
region had all disappeared and undergone a complete atrophy. 
Upon extracting this tumor 1 found it to be composed of muscu¬ 
lar fibres, intermingled with calcareous deposits, and below the 
tumor a large pocket extending over the whole anterior surface 
of the tibia, which contained about one quart of thick white 
coagulum, which loosened all the muscles from their attach¬ 
ments. 
Having this case in my mind I informed the proprietor of the 
horse that the lameness was caused by that tumor, which was 
most likely of a chalky nature ; that only an operation could give 
us any hope of effecting a cure, as neither blister nor fire would 
ever absorb it, and that I had yet a great doubt as tu a final 
cure of the horse. 
To satisfy the personal wish of the proprietor, I applied a 
blister, first on the tumor and the synovial enlargement which 
he thought was the cause of the lameness, and one month later 
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