g the obtaining of crepitus. It is, in fact, only
when the bone is broken into many pieces that crepitus may be detected, and
even then it is slight.

_Reported Cases_.--1. 'The subject was a four-year old hunter. While at
exercise in the morning of August 10 he bolted, got rid of his rider, and
ran about in a mad fashion, came into contact with a wheelbarrow in a
narrow passage, and finally came into violent contact with a wall, which
had the effect of throwing him down. The rider stated that the animal
suddenly put down his head and managed to get off the bridle; he then
bolted, and the only chance for the rider was to throw himself off.

'On examination I found the horse unable to place any weight on the off
fore-leg, the pastern was swollen and painful, the hollow of the heel was
also swollen, and there was marked constitutional disturbance.

'After a short time he would place the heel on the ground and elevate the
toe to a slight degree. On manipulating the pastern slight crepitation
could be discovered, and there was abnormal mobility in the corono-pedal
articulation. On the near fore-leg there were extensive wounds in the
region of the knee, and great laceration of the tissues. The animal was
destroyed.

'On examining the leg I found the subcutaneous tissues infiltrated from
below the knee to the foot, large masses of gelatinous blood-stained
material being present along the flexor tendons and in the hollow of the
heel. The inferior articular surface of the os suffraginis was denuded
of cartilage anteriorly; the os coronae was fractured into eight moderate
sized, irregular fragments, and ten minute pieces. The surface of the
perforans tendon as it glides over the smooth surface at the back of the os
coronae was lacerated, and minute portions of the bone were found embedded
therein.'[A]

[Footnote A: E. Wallis Hoare, F.R.C.V.S., _Veterinary Record_, vol. xiv.,
p. 133.]

2. 'Here, again, fracture was the result of the animal bolting with his
rider. Trying to avoid collision with a conveyance coming towards him, the
animal slipped on a wooden pavement, sliding along until his near fore-leg
came in contact with the wheel of a standing cab. There was considerable
swelling from the knee downwards, great pain, and evidence of fracture in
the region of the pastern.

'Post-mortem revealed the os suffraginis broken into about thirty pieces,
and the os coronae with a piece broken off the inside of its proximal
end.[