The cloven hoof in legal medicine

The injury of a horse's leg needed to be investigated to answer the questio n whether the fracture had been caused by an accident or by intentional man ipulation. By toxicology and using scanning electron microscopy with an ene rgy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDX) the suspicion obtained by morph ology could be confirmed. Toxicologically a short term anaesthetic was foun d, and by EDX ferric oxide particles could be detected in the wound indicat ing that the injury was caused by a sharp pointed metallic instrument and n ot as stated by the owner by a wooden bar. As the result of the interdiscip linary investigation using modem techniques, there is no doubt that the own er attempted to fraudulently claim on an insurance policy.