FEACTURES. 227 



complished immediately after the occurrence of the accident, that 

 is the best time for it. But if it cannot be attended to until in- 

 flammation has become established and the parts have become 

 swollen and painful, time must be allowed for the subsidence of 

 these sj-mptoms before attempting the operation. A spasmodic 

 muscular contraction, which sometimes interjooses a difficulty, may 

 be easily overcome by subjecting the patient to general anesthesia, 

 and need not, therefore, cause any loss of time. A tendency to 

 this may also be overcome by the use of sedatives and anti-phlo- 

 gistic remedies. 



The reduction of the fracture having been accomplished, the 

 problem which follows is that of retention. The parts which have 

 been restored to their natural position must be kept there, with- 

 out disturbance or agitation, until the perfect formation of a callus, 

 and it is here that ample latitude exists for the exercise of ingen- 

 uity and skill by the surgeon in the contrivance of the necessary 

 apparatus. One of the most important of the conditions which 

 are available by the surgeon in treating human patients is denied 

 the veterinarian ia the management of those which belong to 

 the animal tribes. This is 2)ositlon. The intelligence of the 

 human patient co-operates with the instructions of the surgeon, 

 but with the animal sufferer there is a continual antagonism 

 between the parties, and the forced extension and fatiguing posi- 

 tion which must for a considerable period be maintained as a con- 

 dition of restoration require special and effective appliances to 

 insure successful results. To obtain complete immobility is 

 scarcely possible, and the surgeon must be content to reach a 

 point as near as possible to that which is unattainable. For this 

 reason, as will subsequently be seen, the use of slings and the re- 

 straint of patients in very narrow stalls is much to be preferred to 

 the practice sometimes recommended, of allowing entire freedom of 

 motion by turning them loose in box stalls. Temporary and mova- 

 ble apparatus are not usually of difficult use in veterinary j^i-actice, 

 but the restlessness of the patients and their unwilhngness to 

 submit quietly to the changing of the dressings render it obliga- 

 tory to have recourse to permanent and immovable bandages, 

 which shovild be retained without disturbance until the process of 

 consolidation is complete. 



The materials composing the retaining apparatue consist of 

 oakum, bandages and spHnts, with an agglutinating compound 



