FRACTURES. 525 



CHAPTER XXI. 



FRACTURES. 



It is not often that any of the bones in the horse's frame 

 are broken ; but decidedly the most common occurrences of 

 this kind take place at the hip and the hock, as described 

 in appropriate sections of Chapter III. Fractures are of 

 two kinds — simple and compound. In' the former but one 

 bone is broken, and does not protrude through the skin ; in 

 the latter either one or two bones are broken, and the sur- 

 rounding ligaments are lacerated, so that the bone protrudes 

 to or through the skin. 



FRACTURE OF THE SKULL. 



Occasionally the bones of the skull are fractured. Such 

 cases nearly always terminate in death, sooner or later. 

 Sometimes the sufferer seems greatly better — so much so, 

 indeed, as to be returned to his customary duties; but there 

 .is danger of his falling dead upon any occasion of unusual 

 exertion, or else apoplexy may set in and end his days. An 

 injury of this character will be accompanied by slight con- 

 vulsive motions of the entire body, by a hard, laborious 

 breathing, and by a staggering gait. The eyes will be nearly 

 Mosed, or sometimes quite so, the head carried hanging 

 down, the lips pendent, and the saliva often flowing freely 

 from the mouth. There is no remedy for a fractured skull. 



More injuries of this kind happen than farmers are aware 

 of. The cause is generally the infliction of a severe blow 

 upon the head by an enraged teamster, costing the owner 

 the life of a valuable animal. If such blows do not fracture 

 the cranium, and thus kill the horse, they are extremely apt 

 to produce concussion of the brain, which results in mate- . 



