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REPORTS OF CASES. 
REPORTS OF CASES, 
FRACTURE OF THE EXTERNAL ANGLE OF THE ILIUM ; CAUSED BY 
MUSCULAR CONTRACTION. 
Editor American Veterinary Review : 
Dear Sir .—The lesion found in the case that I am about to 
report, I am well aware is of frequent occurrence, and so far as 
itself is concerned, it is of but little interest. However, the his¬ 
tory, although coming from a somewhat disreputable source, is 
interesting, even if it does no more than raise the question, 
whether it is possible for such a lesion to be present without be¬ 
ing caused by direct external violence. The subject was a 
sorrel gelding seven years old, used as an off team horse in New 
York. A day or two previous to my seeing him, he was doing 
his customary work, in the lower part of the city, when, owing to 
the thronged condition of the street, the driver was compelled to 
stop for a time, until seeing an opportunity to proceed, he gave the 
animal a smart cut with the whip, which caused him to plunge 
forward, in doing which he stepped into a hole with the nigh 
hind foot. After going a few steps he showed signs of lameness 
in the off hind leg, and soon after was taken to his stable. A 
veterinary surgeon was called in, who, after making a diagnosis, 
told the owner that the horse must have been run into by a 
pole, as the lesion could only have been produced by direct vio¬ 
lence. This the driver stoutly denied, and to sustain his point he 
requested me to examine the animal. Upon examination I found 
the superior portion of the external angle of the ilium completely 
broken off, the detached portion being about the size of an Eng¬ 
lish walnut. There were no signs of violence to the parts, no 
heat, pain or swelling. These symptoms, however, were present 
over the gluteal region, midway between the external angle of the 
ilium and the coxofemoral articulation. During action there was 
no want of complete flexion of the femur and considerable adduc¬ 
tion. 1 hesitated to express my opinion that the lesion was pro¬ 
duced by muscular contraction, but being unable to discover any 
marks of violence, I did so. A day or two after relating the case 
