332 FRACTURES. 



month he was mounted, and went very well at a walking-pace; he was, however, 

 still lame wlien he was trotted. 



Another horse, treated by the same surgeon, was soon able to rest on the bad leg, 

 in order to change his position — he was allowed three weeks after tha*, and then 

 commenced his former daily work — the drawing of a heav}- cart. He liuijied a little 

 when he was trotted ; but did as much slow work as he was ever accustomed to do. 



Fracture of the lower pastern. — Although this bone is much shorter than the 

 upper pastern, there are sev-eral instances of fracture of it. The fractures of this 

 bone are conunonly longitudinal, and often present a lesion of continuity extending 

 from the larger pastern to the coffin-bone. It is frequently splintered, the splinters 

 taking this longitudinal direction. Hurtrel d'Arboval relates tiiree cases of tiiis, and 

 in one of them the bone was splintered into four pieces. In several instances, how- 

 ever, this bone has been separated into eight or ten distinct pieces. \\ hen the frac- 

 ture of the bone is neither compound nor complicated, it may be perfectly reduced by 

 proper bandaging, and, in iact, there have been cases, in which union has taken place 

 with slight assistance from art beyond the application of a few bandages. 



j\I. Gazot relates a very satisfactory termination of fracture of this bone in a car- 

 riage-horse. The animal fell, and was totally unable to rise again. He was placed 

 on some hurdles, and drawn home. A veterinary surgeon being consulted, recognised 

 fracture of the lower pastern in both feet, and advised that th.e animal should be de- 

 stroyed. It was a favourite horse, between live and six years old, and the owner de- 

 termined to give it a chance of recovery. 



^I. Gazot was consulted. He plainly recognised a transverse fracture in the lower 

 pastern of the right leg, and a longitudinal one in the left pastern. They were both 

 of them simple fractures. The horse was manageable, and seemed to comprehend 

 the whole atfair. He was a favourite of the groom as well as the master, and it 

 was determined to give him a chance of recovery. He had plenty of good litter 

 under him, which was changed twice in the da)'. The first object that was attempt- 

 ed to be accomplished was the healing of the excoriations that had taken place 

 in drawing him home, and abating the inflammation that was appearing about the 

 pasterns. 



At the termination of the first week all these were healed, the horse fed well, and 



was perfectly quiet, except that when he was tired of lying on one side he contrived 



to get on his knees and then to raise himself on his haunches, and, having voided his 



'urine and his dung, he turned himself upon the other side, without the bandages 



round his pasterns being in the slightest degree interfered with. 



At the expiration of the second week, he seemed to wish to get up. The groom 

 bad orders to assist him, and a sling was passed under him. Some oats were placed 

 in the manger, and he seemed to enjoy the change for a little while. Soon after- 

 wards he began to be uneasy, and a copious perspiration appeared on every part. 

 He was immediately lowered, when, with evident delight, he stretched out his head 

 and his legs, and lay almost without motion during several hours. On the follow- 

 ing day he was again placed in the sling, and again lowered as soon as he appeared 

 to be fatigued. 



At the expiration of a month from the time of the accident he could get up without 

 assistance, and would continue standing two or three hours, when he would lay down 

 again, but with a degree of precaution that was truly admirable. l"he bandages 

 around the pasterns had been continued until this period, and liad been kept wet with 

 a spirituous embrocation. The horse was encouraged to walk a little, some corn be 

 ing offered to him in a sieve. He was sadly lame, and the lameness was considera- 

 bly greater in the left than in the right foot. A calculous enlargement coi^ld also be 

 felt in the direction of the fracture on each pastern; but it was greatest in ihe left 

 fetlock, and there was rr-.ison Xn fear the existence of anchylosis, between the pastern 

 bones of the left Icof. That f lot was surrounded with emollient cata])lasms. and, two 

 days afterwards, was pared nut, and the cautery applied over both pasterns, the spirit- 

 uous embrocation i)eing continued. 



A fortnight afterwards the elVect of the cautery was very satisfactory. The action 

 of the part w-as more free, and there was no longer any fear of anchylosis, (t was, 

 however, deemed prudent to a]i]ily the cautery over the right pastern. Walking ex- 

 ercise was now recommended, and in the course of another month the lameness was 



