302 



established and the parts have become swollen and painful, time must 

 be allowed for the subsidence of these symptoms before attempting the 

 operation. A spasmodic muscular contraction which sometimes inter- 

 poses a difficulty may be easily overcome by subjecting the patient to 

 general anesthesia, and need not, therefore, cause any loss of time, A 

 tendency to this may also be overcome by the use of sedatives and anti- 

 phlogistic remedies. 



The reduction of the fracture having been accomplished, the problem 

 which follows is that of retention. The parts which have been restored 

 to their natural position must be kept there, without disturbance or 

 agitation, until the perfect formation of a callus, and it is here that 

 ample latitude exists for the exercise of ingenuity and skill by the sur- 

 geon in the contrivance of the necessary apparatus. One of the most 

 important of the conditions which are available by the surgeon in treat- 

 ing human patients is denied to the veterinariau in the management of 

 those which belong to the animal tribes. This is position. The intel- 

 ligence of the human x^atient co-operates with the instructions of the 

 surgeon, but with the animal suiferer there is a continual antagonism 

 between the parties, and the forced extension and fatiguing position 

 which must for a considerable period be maintained as a condition of 

 restoration require special and efl'ective appliances to insure successful 

 results. To obtain complete immobility is scarcely possible, and the 

 surgeon must be content to reach a point as near as possible to that 

 which is unattainable. For this reason, as will subsequently- be seen, the 

 use of slings and the restraint of jjatientsin very narrow stalls is much 

 to be preferred to the practice sometimes recommended, of allowing en- 

 tire freedom of motiou by turning them loose in box stalls. Temporary 

 and movable apparatus are not usually of difficult use in veterinary 

 practice, but the restlessness of the patients and their unwillingness to 

 submit quietly to the changing of the dressings render it obligatory- to 

 have recourse to i)ermaneut and immovable bandages, which should 

 be retained without disturbance until the process of consolidation is 

 complete. 



The materials composing the retaining apparatus consist of oakum, 

 bandages, and splints, with an agglutinating compound which forms a 

 species of cement by which the different constituents are blended into 

 a consistent mass to be spread upon the surface covering the locality 

 of the fracture. Its components are black pitch, rosin, and Venice tur- 

 pentine, blended by heat. The dressing maybe applied directly to the 

 skin, or a covering of thin linen may be interposed. A putty made 

 with powdered chalk and the white of ag^ is recommended for small 

 animals, though a mixtiire of sugar of lead and buint alum with the 

 albumen is preferred by others. Another formula is spirits of camphor, 

 Goulard's extract and albumen. Another recommendation is to saturate 

 the oakum and bandages with an adhesive solution formed with gum 

 arable, dextrine, flour paste, or starch. This is advised particularly 



