76 DISEASES OF 



ing driven, in consequence of displacement. A case 

 which occured in my own practice will be interesting 

 here. A horse was kicked in the thigh and the skin 

 somewhat bruised and a little swollen. When found in 

 the morning, there was scarcely any lameness and in a 

 few days he trotted out sound. He was driven two 

 days, apparently all right, when the owner concluded 

 to send him out to pasture for two months. About ten 

 days after going to pasture he was found in a good 

 roomy box stall with a fracture of the thigh bone at 

 about the point where the kick had been received. The 

 displacement probably took place when the horse at- 

 tempted to get up in the stall, and although the kick 

 had been received three weeks previously, there was 

 no marked symptom of fracture being present. In most- 

 cases, however, displacement takes place immediately, 

 and the limb can be swung around in unusual direc- 

 tions. When moved, a grating sound will be heard, 

 and a grating motion felt. The animal will be unable 

 to bear any weight 011 the fractured limb. 



treatment. If the horse is of a nervous temperament 

 he had better be destroyed, as it is necessary for the 

 limb to have absolute rest to secure union of the frac 

 tured bones. If the bones are protruding through the 

 soft structures or through the skin, he had better be 

 destroyed. If he is a young, quiet, docile animal, and 

 the bone is simply broken in two pieces, the chances of 

 recovery are fairly good, and the following rules are to 

 be observed : If it is any part of the fore-limb, from the 

 elbow to the foot, that is fractured, the bones should be 

 brought together in the natural position. A padding 

 of oakum should now be placed around the limb. The 

 next thing to do is to place two or more thin pieces of 



