lameness: its cat'sks and treatment. 3G1 



One of the essentials of treatment, and probaWly an indispensable 

 condition Avhen recovery is in any wise attainable, is the suspension 

 of the patient in slinfrs. Tie should be continued in them so long as 

 he can lie made to submit (|uietly to their icstraint. 



DISLOCATIONS. 



Dislocations ami luxations aie intcrchan<realilc terms, meaning the 

 separation and tlisplaeenient of the articulatinjx surfaces of the bones 

 entering into ilie formation of a joint. This injin-y is rai'ely en- 

 countered in our lai'^ie animals on account of the co:nbination of 

 strength and solidity in the formation of their joints. It is met with 

 but seldom in cattle and less so in horses, while dogs and smaller 

 animals are nu)re ofteti the sufferers. 



(\iu.sr. — The accident «)f a luxation is less often enc(juntered in the 

 animal races than in man. This is not because tlu' formei- are less 

 subject to occasi(mal violenc-e involving powerful muscular contrac- 

 tions, or are less often exposed to casualties sindlar to those which 

 result in luxations in the human skeleton, but because it requires the 

 cooi)eration of conditions — anat(»inical. ]diysiological, and })erhaps 

 mechanical — i)resent in the hiunan race and lacking in the others, 

 A\hii-h, however, can not in every case be clearly defined. l*ei'haps 

 the greatei- relative length of the hony levers in the human forma- 

 tion may constitute a cause of the difference. 



Among the predisposing causes in animals may be enumerated 

 caries of articular suifaces. articular al).scesses, excessive dropsical 

 conditions, degenerative softening of the ligaments, and any exces- 

 sive hixity of the soft structures. 



Symptoms and diagnosis. — Three signs of disl(»cation must usually 

 be taken into c<msideration. They are: (1) An alteration in the 

 shape of the joint and in the normal relationship of the articulating 

 surfaces; (*J) an alteration in the length of the limb, either shorten- 

 ing or lengthening: (3) a-n alteration in the mo\ableness of the joint, 

 usually an unnatural immobility. Only the first, however, can be 

 relied upon as ussential. Luxations are not always (omplete: they 

 may l)e partial; that is, the articulating surfaces may be displaced 

 i)ut not .separated. In .such cases several symptoms may not 1)© 

 prestMit. And not only may the third sign be ab.sent, but the mobility 

 of the first be greatly increased when the character of the injmy has 

 been such as to produce exten.sive lacerations of the articular 

 ligaments. 



In addition to the above .signs, a luxation is usually characterized 

 by pain, .swelling, ln'ujorrhage beneath the skin from damaged or 

 ruptured blood ve.sj^ls. and even i)aralysis. when imj^ortant nerves 

 are pressed on by the displaced bones. 



