300 DISEASES OF THE IIOESE. 



displaced. AVhcn these favourable coincidences are present, and 

 the animal is of sufficient value to pay for the expense of a few 

 months' keep, we may certainly be justified in attempting a cure. 



Treatment. — There are many successful cases of fractures on 

 record, a full account of whicli may be found in the editor's 

 treatise 'On the Foot and Leo; of the Horse ;' and in the eleventh 

 volume of the Veterinarian, Mr. Friend, in a judicious paper on 

 the subject, mentions a case of fracture of the humerus, with- 

 out displacement, which he treated by depletion, absolute rest, 

 astringent ajiplications, and low diet, under which it perfectly 

 recovered. 



In the same volume, p. 144., there is an interesting paper on 

 the subject from Mr. Mayer, in which be supports Mr. Friend's 

 views, and strongly advises the employment of splints and 

 bandages, so as to prevent the displacement of the bones : in 

 support of which, he adduces a case of fracture of the tibia, to 

 which he applied an adhesive plaster, and over this three splints 

 on the outside and two on the inside, bandaging the whole liml) 

 from the stifle to the fetlock, and keeping the parts wet with a 

 cooling application. He also mentions a successful case, in 

 which the large pastern bone was fractured and displaced. 



To these I could add some successful cases of fracture of the 

 large pastern, in which the bones were not displaced : one, a 

 coach horse, that had walked some miles afterwards, in whom no 

 other treatment but bandages and cold api)lications was employed; 

 the animal took great care of the lame leg and the pai'ts united, 

 though accompanied with some ossific enlargement. Another was 

 a very singular case of a thorough-bred mare that had injured 

 herself in racing, and could scarcely be got to the stable, where 

 she almost constantly preserved a recumbent posture, the pain 

 she experienced when standing being so excessive. I found one 

 fetlock dreadfully strained, and the large pastern of the other 

 leg fractured, but not displaced. The case appeared hopeless ; 

 but as the mare was likely to be useful as a bi-ood mare, she was 

 put under treatment, which consisted chiefly of antiphlogistic 

 measures. The fractured leg entirely recovered, but very con- 

 siderable bony deposition took place round the joint of the other 

 fetlock, which rendered her afterwards lame, though fit for tlie 

 purpose intended. — Ed,] 



