BODY OF THBi HORSE, ITS EXTERNAL ACCIDENTS AND DISEASES. 



!75 



What to do.— If the spinous processes only are fractured, the animal 

 will recover. Put him into slings if he can stand when raised ; if not, 

 leave him on the floor, as he is safer and more comfortable there than in 

 the slings, unless he can bear the most of his weight comfortably on his 

 feet. Apply cold water rugs to the fracture, and bathe the part occa- 

 sionally with tincture of arnica or camphor. After the active inflamma- 

 tion has subsided, stop the cold water and just give the horse time, and 

 nature will mend the fracture. But if any of the l)roken pieces of bone 

 do not reunite, and continue to act as irritants, cut down upon them and 

 remove them. 



If the back is absolutely broken, so that there is inability to move, and 

 no sensation in the hind parts, particularly if there is displacement, treat- 

 ment is useless, and the animal ought to be destroyed, for it is only a 

 question of a few days for him to die, and he might be saved all the suf- 

 fering accompanying a natural death. 



In case there are broken bones to remove, it is best to wait till the 

 irritant is located by the abscess that is sure to follow; then, when the 

 abscess is soft, tender, and nearly ready to break, open it sufliciently to 

 allow the finger to enter, and remove the pieces that are acting as 

 thorns. 



VII. Sprain of the Back. 



Causes. — Sometimes the back is only sprained by slips or falls, but if 

 the sprain is severe, many of the same symptoms will be noticed, and the 



TEST KOR Sl'KAIN OF TUK BACK. 



ligaments, and sometimes the coverings of the spinal cord, are involved 

 these are amenable to treatment but recovery is often slow. 



