FllACTVEES.] 



MOTtEKN VETEKINA"RT PT^ACTTCE. 



[foactubeb. 



])lace the ends of tlio fnicturi-il liinl) as cvfiily 

 iu contact as ])ossible ; then got an assistant to 

 lace the boot tight on, which will act as a kind 

 of pplont, to socnre the bone in its proper 

 situation. After this, bandage the leg well 

 Jroin the knee to the fetlock, with four yards 

 of a llannel bandage. Hemovo all straw and 

 litter ; and if much iiTitatiou appears about him, 

 give- 

 Cape Aloes ....;. 4 drachms. 



Resin 1 do. 



Soft soap to form the ball. 



The flannel bandage must not be removed for 

 at least a week ; when a little of the liniment 

 prescribed for the fractured blade-bone may be 

 poured iu at the top of the boot, so that it may 

 run dowu between the boot and leg. Pursue 

 this plan until the boot can safely be removed, 

 then apply the liniment and the woollen bandage 

 only. For food, if the animal is accustomed 

 to the stable, give half bran and half oats made 

 damp. If the accident occurs while the horse 

 is at grass, give bran mashes only. 



In the representative plate, A shows the 

 form in which the boot is to be made; B 

 B, the lengtli from top to bottom, about seven 

 inches ; C, the lace to draw the edges together [ 

 within a quarter of an inch, in order to give it 

 the requisite tightness. 



FRACTURE OF THE THIGH-BONE. 



Tlie thigh-bone is somciimes fractured at its 

 lower head, where it joins the bones of the 

 hock, though this is by no means a common 

 case. There is no doubt, however, that many 

 horses are killed from the appearance of the 

 fracture ; the leg, below where it has occurred, 

 dangles and shakes about, as if only sustained 

 by the common integument — or skin — so that 

 the horse literally goes on three legs. It arises 

 sometimes in consequence of the temper of the 

 horse, or it may occur from a sudden slip of 

 the hind leg on wet slipperv stones, iu going up 

 hill. 



A horse had got his leg entangled between 

 the foot-board and the bar, and so near to the 

 middle that he could not extricate it. He con- 

 sequently made a sudden plunge, and snapped 

 his tliigh just above the head of the lower end 

 of the thigh-bone. He was put into a friend's 

 stable, bard -by where the accident happened, 



and the vi-trrinary surgeon wan imnicdiatelv 

 sent for. The K'g was dangling as if by a piece 

 of cord, and the liorBe was reatless, and Hwcat- 

 ing jirofusely from the pain he was HuHV-ring. 

 Tlie treatment was as follows: — 



The surgeon ilrst got an old horse-collar, 

 which ho put on the horse ; then a roller, to 

 which was fastened the top of the collar, with 

 a strap to prevent its getting forward on to 

 his neck. The bow part of a halter was then 

 put round the fetlock joint of the fractured 

 leg, passing the other end between the foro 

 legs of the horse, and into the collar, the end 

 of which was given to an assistant to hold 

 until the horse's leg was got into a proper 

 situation. A good woollen bandage was next 

 procured ; and the gentleman to whose house 

 the horse had been taken, fortunately happened 

 to have by him three parts of a bottle of 

 liniment, composed of oil turpentine and oil 

 olive. Two table-spoonfuls of this liniment 

 was gently rubbed on the part ; then the man 

 who held the halter was desired to draw tho 

 leg gently forward, until the parts were brought 

 as even together as possible. This being satis- 

 fitctorily accomplished, an assistant, with tho 

 bandage, bound the parts up tight and firm ; 

 after which the halter was made fast to tho 

 bottom of the collar. The bone was now re- 

 placed. The bandage was not removed for a 

 week, when the limb was found to be doinf? 

 well. The liniment was continued, and the 

 line kept to the foot for three weeks, when the 

 horse was able to be moved about a few 

 yards. On account of the restlessness of the 

 animal, no medicine could be given him, and 

 two men sat witli him day and night. His 

 principal food was bran mashes, as a sub- 

 stitute. This animal being an entire horse, 

 and a favourite, the owner would have him 

 castrated, which operation was performed on 

 him ; and, on getting well, he turned out one 

 of the best gig horses in the country. 



Another case was that of a fine brown horse 

 belonging to a gentleman residing in Ked 

 Lion-street, Holborn; and the accident oc- 

 curred when going up Holborn Hill, during 

 the frost of a winter day. 



The horse was placed under the care of a 

 very skilful metropolitan veterinary surgeon; 

 but the owner of the horse, regretting tho 

 accident very much, wished he could get rid 



183 



