DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF CATTLE 403 



can hear the bones grating on each other. In slight cases the 

 animal is able to get up all right, but will be stiff and sore. 

 In most of these cases the animal coughs a little, and breathes 

 short and quick. 



Treatment.— All that is needed is quietness, good care 

 and nutritious food. If not able to rise turn it over from 

 side to side twice a day. If the rib is broken so badly that 

 it penetrates the lung and sets up inflammation there is no 

 hope of recovery. 



6. Fracture of the Shoulder Blade. 



Fracture of these bones is indicated by the extreme lame- 

 ness and pain it causes. On moving the leg you can hear the 

 bones grating on each other. In a case of this kind it is best 

 to destroy the animal, but if the fracture is not so severe, and 

 the patient young, keep it very quiet, feed well, and it will 

 come all right in the course of time. The less you bother 

 with it the better. 



7. Broken Bones Below the Knee or Below the Hpck. 



Symptoms. — There is crookedness of the leg, lameness 

 and extreme pain. When you move the leg you can hear the 

 bones grating on each other. 



Treatment. — Place the patient in a quiet place, set the 

 leg in shape, and have some one to hold it while you bandage 

 it with a starched bandage — a long strip of cotton dipped in 

 starch used for starching clothes. On drawing the bandage 

 out of the starch draw it between your fingers to clean out as 

 much of the starch as you can, then wrap it moderately tight 

 around the leg. Put plenty of the bandage on, and have some 

 one hold the leg and bandage straight for an hour or so until 

 the starch hardens. After this the bandage will hold the leg 

 to its place. Leave it on four or five weeks until the bones 

 are healed. Keep the animal quiet until the bones are well 

 knit together. If the leg should swell with this bandage take 

 it off and put it on looser. 



Fractures above the knee are sometimes treated by this 

 method, but not nearly so successfully. 



