CHAPTER VI. 



PARTICULAR FRACTURES — continued. 



FRACTURES OF THE VERTEBR-E — ON BROKEN BACK — FRACTURE OF 

 THE SACRAL AND COCCYGEAL BONES — FRACTURE OF THE PELVIC 

 BONES FRACTURE OF THE FEMUR FRACTURE OF TIBIA- 

 FRACTURE OF THE TARSAL AND METATARSAL BONES. 



FRACTURES OF THE VERTEBILE. 



A FRACTURED vertebra, above the origin of the phrenic nerve, 

 mth displacement of the fragments, produces death, and is not 

 discovered until a post mortem examination be made. This 

 nerve is formed by the union of branches from the fourth, fifth, 

 and sixth cervical nerves, and conveys motor power to the 

 diaphragm. When this power is cut off, death results from 

 paralysis of this great respiratory muscle. It is very true, as 

 can be seen after an animal is " pithed," that respiration goes 

 on for a short time, but it is performed with great difficulty, 

 and seemingly without the aid of the diaphragm, and becomes 

 slower and slower, until it finally ceases altogether. 



The transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae are some- 

 times fractured, and by pressing upon the cervical nerve in the 

 immediate neighboui'hood, cause more or less paralysis of the 

 cervical muscles supplied by that nerve, producing what is com- 

 monly termed wri/ neck — that is, a twisted neck, the head being 

 tm^ned from the seat of the injury. I had once under my care 

 a case of this kind, where the fractured bone had become carious, 

 communicating with the surface by means of fistulous openings. 

 The horse had fallen, months before he was seen by me ; the neck 

 had been persistently bent from the beginning, and attempts 

 had been made to straighten it, but without success ; the soft 

 parts commenced to swell, and eventually abscesses formed suc- 

 cessively, and were discharging the offensive pus peculiar to dis- 

 eased bone. The use of the probe did not enable me to form 



