NECROSIS. 173 



care that the animal is properly cared for, by having good food, 

 comfort, and cleanliness ; but if the bone be not a weight-bearing 

 one, as the inferior maxilla, no time should be lost in removing 

 all portions of the dead bone. The following case will illustrate 

 the necessary treatment. 



A bay mare was brought to the College last winter with a 

 fistulous opening in the lower jaw, from which flowed a large 

 quantity of very foetid pus. Upon examination, about five 

 inches of the original bone, extending from the incisors back- 

 wards, was found enclosed in a capsule of new bone, in which 

 were several cloacae connected with the fistula. Wlien the 

 probe was introduced, loose pieces of bone could be detected 

 within the capsule. The animal was cast, the skin dissected 

 from the largest fistula, and the cloacae enlarged with the tre- 

 phine. It was found necessary to make two openings in the 

 capsule, before the sequestrse could be removed by the forceps ; 

 the parts were now washed out by syringing with dilute carbolic 

 acid (the fcetor being very offensive), and the animal allowed to 

 rise. Three days afterwards the discharge had entirely ceased ; 

 the wound healed up rapidly, and the mare continues well to 

 this day. 



The same principle of treatment will apply to necrosis, wher- 

 ever situated, care always being taken that every portion is 

 removed, and that strong and proper instruments are used. 

 The symptoms of partial necrosis of the os pedis will be exactly 

 like those of partial fracture of it (described hereafter) ; and 

 the symptoms of total necrosis in acute laminitis will be swell- 

 ing round the coronet, with great lameness, separation of the 

 crust from the sensitive foot, discharge of a dark-coloured 

 sanious matter from the upper part of the foot, and finally, if 

 the animal live, sloughing of the whole hoof, accompanied by 

 great constitutional excitement and irritative fever ; the pulse, 

 at first hard, full, and rapid, finally becomes small, thready, and 

 quick ; with foetor of the breath in some cases, and death in a 

 very short space of time. The foetor of the breath and the very 

 rapid sinking are supposed to be caused by absorption of the 

 sanious discharge. 



I think I need scarcely remind the reader that in compound 

 fractures, when the fragments are completely detached and 

 separated from the bone, they die, constituting necrosis by 



