84 CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF 



occur from external violence, operating directly upon the bone, as 

 falling, receiving a kick, etc., or by external violence, causing a strain 

 not sufficient to break the bone receiving the injury, but breaks in 

 some other part. This sometimes occurs in the long bones. Or if a 

 horse falls back and strikes the occipital bone, it does not fracture the 

 occipital but the basilar process. A fracture may occur from intense 

 muscular exertion. This sometimes occurs in operations, however 

 careful they are performed. This is more likely to occur in young 

 animals, breaking the union between the diaphysis and epiphysis — 

 the union between the points of ossification. Fracture may occur 

 from concussion. Without any weight upon the back, the animal 

 falters, becomes suddenly lame, and an examination reveals fracDure 

 of the os-su£fraginis or ossa-innominata. 



General Symptoms. — Generally easily detected. The bones may pass 

 each other, and so show it. The part may lose motion, or, in other 

 cases, you may have to detect by crepitation, and you may find it in 

 parts where you will have great difficulty in detecting it, for great 

 swelling may take place, and then you cannot hear any crepitation. 



General Treatment. — There are certain general and certain special 

 rules applicable to our cases. A compound fracture can not be 

 treated with any degree of success in the horse, especially those of 

 the tibia, humerus, etc. The parts should be brought into proper 

 position as soon as possible — however, in a simple fracture they are 

 not separated to any great extent — and keep them in position by 

 some means, such as a starch or plaster of paris bandage, and use 

 slings. A starch bandage is just factory cotton starched and applied 

 around the parts. Or use nice light splints, leather or anything of 

 that sort. But if you use some cumbersome appliance you will do 

 more harm than good. There is a new kind of splint used in human 

 practice— a kind of porous felt. It looks very nice and light, and 

 by immersing it in hot water it becomes perfectly pliable, and will 

 take the perfect shape of the part ; then apply cold water and it be- 

 comes solid. It is astonishing how reunion will take place in some 

 cases, even without anything being done. I saw a case where pretty 

 good recovery had taken place after fracture of the femur, without 

 any treatment. Keunion takes place more quickly in young animals. 

 In some cases, although everything is done properly, reunion will not 

 take place. We also find false joints by the production of fibro- 

 cartilage. 



The Period of Union, and the manner in which bones unite, depends 

 upon the structure of the bones and the manner in which they are 

 kept together. There is effusion of blood around the fractured ends, 

 and between the periosteum and the bone, and, by and by, this extra- 

 vasation becomes absorbed and reparative material is deposited 

 between the fractured ends. This is called callus. At first there is an 

 effusion from the vessels of the bone and periosteum. This becomes 

 converted into bone — at first spongy, but it gradually becomes firmer 

 and firmer, and leaves but little mark, and it usually goes on in this 

 manner. If the bones are properly placed, and the animal kept quiet, 

 this callus will form in eight or ten days. In dogs (the healing pro- 

 cess is more difficult and complicated where there is a certain amount 

 of motion,) there is a ring or sheath of bone around the ends of the 

 bone — a provisional callus — which tends to keep the ends of the bones 

 in position ; there is also a plug in the medullary canal. There are 

 various stages. The first is extravasation of reparative material 

 between the bone and periosteum; second, this exudation acquires a 



