102 PARTICULAR FRACTURES. 



torn of the injury : there is both paralysis and mechanical dis- 

 placement of the eyelid. 



The treatment of such a case is to elevate the depressed ends 

 of the bone ; and to do this it may be necessary to introduce 

 a small lever under the skin, making the incision through 

 which it is to be passed close to the zygomatic ridge, and 

 pushing the instrument subcutaneously until the seat of the 

 fracture is reached, when the elevation may be effected; if 

 the lever is put under the centre of the depression, both ends 

 may be elevated simultaneously. Considerable force is neces- 

 sary, but it must be applied carefully and steadily. Let there 

 be no jerking, but steady, continued pressure. I have seen the 

 eye recover almost its natural shape when this has been done. 

 Little else is required locally ; the animal is to be kept at rest, 

 the wound made by the operator covered over with collodion, 

 and low diet prescribed ; a dose of physic may be given, and the 

 animal carefully watched for a few days by the veterinary 

 surgeon, who will adopt such treatment as may be suggested by 

 the symptoms. If the fifth nerve be damaged, there is found 

 to be a tendency to tetanus ; all causes of excitement must 

 therefore be guarded against. 



Should the fracture be compound or comminuted, the treat- 

 ment already laid down must be employed. 



The outer plate may be fractured over the centre of the 

 frontal sinus ; it may be merely bent inwards, from partial 

 fracture ; or it may be completely shattered, and the skin 

 penetrated. 



If there be mere depression, there should be no interference, 

 as the indented bone will not press upon any organ, and the 

 only results will be a slight blemish externally, and diminution 

 of the sinus within. A dose of physic should be given — febri- 

 fuges if necessary — and a short period of rest allowed. 



But if the injury has penetrated the skin, and broken the 

 bone into fragments, it becomes the duty of the veterinarian to 

 remove all such fragments, whether they are attached to the 

 fractured borders, or have been forced into the cavity ; to 

 thoroughly cleanse the sinus from all clots of blood and other 

 foreign bodies ; for if these remain, their decomposition will be 

 productive of much mischief. When these things are done, 

 the forehead is to be strapped with pitch-plaster, and the con- 

 stitutional treatment above described adopted. 



