350 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



a day or two he betrays a little soreness, and this increasing he be- 

 comes very lame again, to be furloughed once more, with the result 

 of a temporary improvement, and again a return to labor and again 

 a relapse of the lameness; and this alternation seems to be the rule. 

 The leg being now carefully examined, a local periostitis is readily 

 discovered at the point of the injury, the part being warm, swollen, 

 and painful. What further proof is necessary? Is it not evident 

 that a fracture has occurred, first superficial — a mere split in the 

 bony structure, which, fortunately, has been discovered before some 

 extra exertion or a casual misstep had developed it into one of the 

 complete kind, possibly with complications? AMiat other inference 

 can such a series of symptoms thus repeated establish ? 



The prognosis of fracture of the tibia, as a rule, must be unfavor- 

 able. 



Treatment. — The difficult}' of obtaining a union without shorten- 

 ing, and consequently without lameness, is proof of the futility of 

 ordinary attempts at treatment, but though this may be true in 

 respect to fractures of the complete kind, it is not necessarily so with 

 the incomplete variety, and with this class the simple treatment of 

 the slings is all that is necessary to obtain consolidation. A few 

 weeks of this confinement will be sufficient. . 



With dogs and other small animals there are cases which may be 

 successfully treated. If the necessary dressings can be successfully 

 applied and retained, a cure will follow. 



FRACTURES OF THE HOCK. 



Injuries of the astragalus which had a fatal termination have been 

 recorded. Fractures of the os calcis have also been observed, but 

 never with a favorable prognosis, and attempts to induce recovery, 

 as might have been expected, have proved futile. 



FRACTURES OF THE CANNON BONES. 



Wliether these occur in the fore or hind legs, they appear either in 

 the body or near their extremities. If in the body as a rule the 

 three metacarpal or metatarsal bones are affected, and the fracture 

 is generally transverse and oblique. On account of the absence of 

 soft tissue and tightness of the skin, the broken bones pierce the skin 

 and render the fracture a complicated one. The diagnosis is easy 

 when all the bones are completely broken, but the incomplete fracture 

 can be only suspected. 



Symptoms. — There is no displacement, but excessive mobility, crep- 

 itation, inability to sustain weight, and the leg is kept off the ground 

 by the flexion of the upper joint. 



