330 FRACTURES. 



ing, and increased heat and tenderness just above the hock. Mr. Trump had exam- 

 ined the foot during the time that the horse stood in the stable, not being satisfied that 

 the apparently slight injury on the thigh could account for the lameness. He was 

 turned to grass, and three days afterwards the tibia was found broken at the part men- 

 tioned, and evidently from a blow. Were there not positive proof of the circunistance, 

 t would have been deemed impossible that a fracture, and of such a bone, could have 

 existed so long without detection.* 



Mr. J. S. Mayer gives an interesting account of the successful treatment of a case 

 of fracture of the tibia. The simplicity of the process w ill, we trust, encourage many 

 another veterinary surgeon to follow his example. 



"A horse received a blow on the tibia of the near leg, but little notice was taken 

 of it for two or three days. When, however, we were called in to examine him, we 

 found the tibia to be obliquely fractured about midway between the hock and the 

 stifle, and a small w^ound existing on the inside of the leg. It was set in the follow- 

 ing manner: — The leg from the stifle down to the hock was well covered with an 

 adhesive compound ; it was then wrapped round with fine tow, upon which another 

 layer of the same adhesive mixture was laid, the whole being well splinted and ban- 

 daged up, so as to render what was a slightly compound fracture a simple one. Tiib 

 local inflammation and sympathetic fever that supervened were kept down by anti- 

 phlogistic measures. At the end of six weeks the bandages and splints were removed, 

 and readjusted in a similar way as before, and at the termination of three months from 

 the time of the accident he was discharged, cured, the splints being wholly taken ofl", 

 and merely an adhesive stay kept on the leg. The horse is now at work and quite 

 sound, there being merely a little thickening, where the callus is formed."-)" 



Fracture of the hock. — This is not of frequent occurrence, but very oiificult to 

 treat, from the almost impossibility of finding means to retain the bone in its situa- 

 tion. A case, however, somewhat simple in its nature occurred in the practice ot 

 Mr. Cartwright. A colt, leaping at some rails, got his leg between them, and, una- 

 ble to extricate himself, hung over on the other side. After being liberated it appeared 

 on examination, that there was a simple horizontal fracture of the whole of the os 

 calcis about the middle. A splint was contrived so as to reach from the middle of 

 the tibia to that of the cannon bone, and this was applied to the front of the leg, keep- 

 ing the hock from its usual motion, and relaxing the muscles inserted into the os calcis. 

 Underneath this splint a charge was applied about the part, in order to form a level 

 surface for the splint to rest upon. The whole was bound together by proper adhe- 

 sive bandages, and he was ordered to be kept quiet in the stable, but not to be slung. 

 In about two months the hock was fired and became perfectly sound.:}: 



Fracture of the cannon or shank bone. — This is of more frequent occurrence 

 than that of any other bone, on account of the length of the leg, and the danger to 

 which it is exposed. There is rarely any difficulty in detecting its situation, but there 

 is sometimes a great deal in bringing the divided edges of the bone again into appo- 

 sition. A kind of windlass, or a power equal to it, is occasionally necessary to pro- 

 duce suflicient extension in order to effect the desired purpose : but the divided edges 

 being brought into apposition are retained there by the force of the muscles above. 

 Splints reaching from the foot to above the knee should then be applied. The horse 

 should be racked up during a fortnight, after which, if the case is going on well, the 

 animal may often be turned out. 



In cases of compound fracture the wounds should be carefully attended to : but 

 Mr. Percivall says that he knows one or two old practitioners, who are in the habit 

 of treating these cases in a very summary and generally successful manner. They 

 employ such common support, with splints and tow and bandages, as the case seems 

 to require, and tben the animal with his leg bo\md up is turned o\it, if tlie season ])er- 

 mits ; otherwise he is placed in a yard or box, where there is not much straw to 

 incommode his movements. The animal will take care not to impose too much 

 weight on his fractured limb ; and, provided the parts are well secured, nature will 

 generally perform the rest.§ 



* Veterinarian, vol. iii. p. 394. 



t The Transactions of the Vet. Med. Association. Some other eases of the successful treat 

 ment of fractures are related in this worii. 



t Veterinarian, vol. iii. p. 69. ^ FercivsJl's Ilippopntho vi^) v'ol. i. p ?,G9. 



