EXTRACTS FROM FOREIGN JOURNALS. 
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smooth road, with a light cart behind him, should suddenly give 
way in the manner described. 
Had he been suddenly and violently urged forward, I could 
understand fracture occurring in one or both fore limbs, but I am 
quite at a loss to account for the fracture of all the sesamoid 
bones, and one large metacarpal bone at the same moment, unless 
it be allowed that very extensive disease of the bones existed pre¬ 
viously. 
If fragilitis can exist without an animal showing the least 
sign of lameness, or even stiffness, I can account for the fractures 
in this case. I have frequently seen the animal in question, both 
in harness and when being led ont of the stall for my inspection, 
and never, except when he suffered from the prick of a nail, did 
he show any lameness. 
About two years ago a case of fracture of the sesamoids of 
both fore limbs occurred in a pony five years old, when being 
galloped over the “ maidan ” (or plain) at this station. The ground 
was as smooth as a billiard-table, and there had been no previous 
disease, so far as I could tell. (1 had carefully examined the 
pony a short time previously.) I must add that this pony had 
been taken over a few small fences a short time before the break¬ 
down, and I have no doubt that it was while taking one of the 
jumps that the breakage occurred, though the broken pieces of 
bone did not separate immediately. It is frequently the case that 
displacement does not occur for a considerable time after the 
fracture has been caused. In this case the pony walked about 
on the ends of his cannon bones, with the lower portions of the 
limbs dangling about as if they did not belong to them. 
Not quite a month ago a gentleman of this station was driving 
an old pony in alight cart. The animal had been the subject of 
repeated attacks of rheumatism, and as a consequence there was 
considerable thickening of the tissues around the fetlock joints. 
On the occasion in question the owner touched up the old animal 
rather smartly with the whip, and immediately afterwards the 
pony came to a standstill, and could not be induced to move fur¬ 
ther. I saw the animal soon afterwards, and found that the near 
hind fetlock was resting on the ground, but there was no crepitus. 
