226 OPEEATIONS ON BONES. 



matter. The patient is first to be carefully cast, on the uninjured 

 side, with ropes, or a broad leather strap about 18 feet long, ^^assed 

 under and around his body and under the axilla of the fractm-ed 

 limb and secured at a point opjiosite to the animal and toward his 

 back. This will form the mechanical means of counter extension. 

 Another roj^e will then be placed around the inferior part of the 

 leg below the point of fracture, with which to j^roduce extension, 

 and this wiU sometimes be furnished with a block or pulleys, in 

 order to augment the power when necessary ; and there is, in fact, 

 alwaj'S an advantage in their use, on the side of steadiness and 

 uniformity, as well as of increased power. It is secured around 

 the fetlock or the coronet, or, what is better, above the knee and 

 nearer the point of fracture, and is committed to assistants. The 

 traction on this should be firm, uniform, and slow, without relaxing 

 or jerking, while the operator carefully watches the process. If 

 the bone is superficially situated he is able to judge, by the eye, of 

 any changes that may occur in the form or length of the parts 

 under traction, and discovering at the moment of its hapj^ening 

 the restoration of sj^mmetry in the disturbed region, he gently but 

 firmly manipulates the place imtil all apj^earance of severed con- 

 tinuity have vanished. Sometimes the fact and the instant of res- 

 toration are indicated by a pecuhar sound, or " click," as the ends 

 of the bone shp into contact, to await the next step of the restora- 

 tive procedure. 



The 25rocess is the same when the bones are covered with thick 

 muscular masses, excepting that it is attended with greater diffi- 

 cidties, from the fact that the finger must be substituted for the 

 eye, and the taxis must take the place of the sight, and the result 

 natm-aUy becomes more uncertain. 



It frequently happens that perfect coaptation is prevented by 

 the interposition between the bony surfaces of substances, such as 

 a small fragment of detached bone or a clot of blood, and some- 

 times the extreme obhquity of the fracture is the opposing cause, 

 by permitting the bones to slip out of x^lace. These are difficulties 

 which can not always be overcome, even in smaU-sized animals, 

 and still it is only when they are mastered that a correct consoH- 

 dation can be looked for. Yet without it the continuity between 

 the fragments will be by a deformed callus, the union will leave a 

 shortened, crooked or angular Hmb, and a disabled animal. 



If timely assistance can be obtained, and the reduction ac- 



