REPORTS OF CASES. 
i73 
to Dr. J. L. Robertson, he told me that some years ago he met 
witli a similar case, and the history coming directly from the 
owner, who was driving the animal at the time the lameness first 
showed itself, he inclined to the opinion that it was a case of 
fracture due to muscular contraction. It would be an interesting 
as well as an important point to settle, should such a case find its 
way into the courts of law, whether it is possible for such a lesion 
to occur from muscular action, when clinical testimony would of 
necessity have great weight. The above cases are evidence 
enough to convince me that such a thing is possible. I am well 
aware that many stoutly deny its possibility and will in the one 
case say that the driver’s testimony is worthless, and in the other 
that the owner must be mistaken. The pathologist will be in¬ 
clined to ascribe the accident to some diseased condition of the 
parts or to some previous injury, while others may accept the 
ingenious suggestion of a friend to whom I related the case, who 
thought there might have been an abnormal development of the 
ilium, and this portion being a center of ossification had not be¬ 
come firmly united with the remainder of the bone. 
D. J. Dixon, D.V.S. 
DEATH FROM RUPTURE OF THE RECTUM OCCASIONED DURING 
ATTEMPTS AT COPULATION. 
Editor American Veterinary Review : 
I have just lost a 14-2-hand six-year-old brown mare that was 
sent to a sixteen-hands-high stallion to be covered. A young 
man about 18 years old was in charge of the stallion, and during 
the attempt to effect copulation the penis entered the rectum and 
lacerated the left wall to the extent of six inches or more. The 
wound through the organ was situated about eight inches from 
the anus, and extended some six inches into the surrounding 
tissues. But slight haemorrhage resulted. Colicky pains came 
on in a short time, and lasted until death. The fceces gained 
access to the wound and served to increase the irritation and suf¬ 
fering. Excessive effusion followed, during the course of twelve 
hours. Peritonitis set in, and at the end of 36 hours the patient 
