276 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



ment, and impeded respiration, owing to the lessening of the caliber 

 of the nasal passages. 



"Wlien such accident occurs, the depressed bone should be gently 

 forced back to i^lace by introducing the finger in the nostril, or if 

 the fracture is too far up for this, a probe may be passed and the 

 parts retained by placing immediately over it a plaster of thin leather 

 or strong canvas smeared with tar, extending out to the sound sur- 

 roundings, taking care to embed the hair over the fractured portion 

 in the tar of the plaster, so that it will be firmly held and prevented 

 from again becoming depressed. If only one nostril is involved, 

 the depressed portion may be held in position by packing that 

 nostril with absorbent cotton. This practice, however, has the 

 objection of giving the animal great discomfort and in some cases 

 a disposition to aggravate the injury. 



Fracture of the skull ( cranium). — Fractures of the bones form- 

 ing the cavity in wdiicli the brain is situated are, owing to their 

 strength, comparatively rare among cattle. Such an accident can 

 only be the result of external violence, and it is hardly possible that 

 it could occur without some fragment of the broken bone pressing 

 upon the brain so as to cause coma or other severe nervous derange- 

 ment, or even death. 



If the animal survives the first shock, the efforts should be directed 

 toward relieving the pressure, which may be done by making an 

 opening in the bone (trephining), and wath a hook drawing the 

 depressed part outward. Interference is not so liable to be attended 

 with good results as to be warranted in all cases. The effects of a 

 very severe shock wdiich may not have produced a fracture, although 

 the symptoms were alarming, will in many cases pass off, leaving 

 the animal in a better condition than if an operation had been per- 

 formed. 



Fracture of the lower jaw. — This occasionally occurs, and is 

 more liable to result from the kick of a horse than from any other 

 cause. The front part of the jaw may be split or shattered in any 

 direction in wdiich the force may have been applied. Bloody dis- 

 charges from the mouth and failure to eat or ruminate are symp- 

 toms most likely to attract attention. 



The treatment is simple and consists in first removing detached 

 pieces of bone, then draAving the parts together and retaining them 

 by means of pieces of copper wire fastened around the teeth, and 

 feeding the animal on sloppy feed until recovery takes place. The 

 wound should be dressed once or twice a day wdth a 3 per cent solu- 

 tion of cai'bolic acid, for-ced gently in with a syi-inge, so as to remove 

 any feed which may have become impacted and interfere w^ith the 

 healing process. 



