FALSE JOINTS AND NON-UNION. 89 



tunity of seeing a case of non-union of the pelvic bones in a 

 healthy animal. The bones were in apposition, the fracture 

 being an oblique one through the shaft and spine of the ileum. 

 Two months after the accident, the bones were moveable and 

 crepitant ; there were no inflammatory signs nor pain present, 

 the animal being in the best of health and spirits, but lame. 



Treatment. — An ingenious method is recommended by Mr. 

 Syme : — " This method was devised by Dr. Physick, of New 

 York, in 1804; and it consists in passing a skein of silk or 

 cotton between the extremities of the bone, and allowing it to 

 remain until it appears that new bone begins to be formed, 

 when it may be withdrawn and splints applied." Another plan 

 consists in drilling holes in the fragments with the ordinary 

 Archimedean drill, and fixing them in apposition by ivory pegs 

 driven into the drilled holes. I think this method deserving of 

 trial in compound fractures, even in the earlier stages. The 

 pegs must not project from the surface of the bones, but must 

 be cut off level, so that they do not wound the soft structures. 



Blisters over the seat of fracture may be tried. They may, 

 by causing the production of a fibrinous exudate, set up the 

 healing process, which may ultimately end in complete con- 

 solidation of the disunited fragments. 



One more method may be mentioned, namely, that recom- 

 mended by Miller. It consists in introducing a long needle 

 through the skin, passing it into the false joint, and cutting 

 up the ligamentous bond of union, as well as the self-investing 

 tissues on the bones ; covering the opening with collodion and 

 plaster, and keeping the fragments at rest. 



Tliere is great danger in allowing an animal to use his 

 limb too freely soon after the apparent union of a fracture ; as 

 gradual yielding of the bone may take place, and deformity 

 occur from the weight thus thrown upon the limb ; hence the 

 starch bandage should be retained for a considerable time, and 

 the animal kept in a box for three or four weeks after his 

 removal from the slings. The loose box will be better than 

 the stall, as the animal will be able to take some little exercise, 

 and thus allow, as it were, of passive movements of the limb, 

 wdiich will prevent thickening, or adhesion of the tendons to 

 their thecse. 



When a fracture fails to unite, the causes of such non- 

 union may be looked for in a variety of circumstances ; but the 



