4 08 FRACTURES. 



that in a fracture of the lower jaw he succeeded by making a strong leather 

 frame that exactly encased the whole jaw. The author of this volume has 

 effected the same object by similar means. 



M. H. Boulay attended a horse, fracture of whose lower maxillary had 

 taken place at the neck of that bone, between the tushes and the corner incisor 

 teeth. The whole of the interior part of the maxillary bone in which the 

 incisor teeth were planted was completely detached from the other portion of 

 the bone, and the parts were merely held together by the membrane of the 

 mouth. 



The horse was cast — the corner tooth on the left side extracted — the wound 

 thoroughly cleansed — the fractured bones brought into contact — some holes 

 were drilled between the tushes and the second incisor teeth, above and below, 

 through which some pieces of brass wire were passed, and thus the jaws were 

 apparently fixed immoveably together. The neck of the maxillary bone was 

 surrounded by a sufficient compress of tow, and a ligature tied around it, with 

 its bearing place on the tushes, and all motion thus prevented. 



The horse was naturally an untractable animal, and in his efforts to open 

 his jaws the wires yielded to his repeated struggles, and were to a certain 

 degree separated. The bandage of tow was, however, tightened, and was 

 sufficient to retain the fractured edges in apposition. 



The mouth now began to exhale an infectious and gangrenous odour ; 

 the animal was dispirited, and would not take any food ; gangrene was evi- 

 dently approaching, and Mr. Boulay determined to amputate the inferior 

 portion of the maxillary bone, the union of which seemed to be impossible. 

 The sphacelated portion of the maxillary was entirely removed ; every frag- 

 ment of bone that had an oblique direction was sawn away, and the rough and 

 uneven portions which the saw could not reach were rasped off. 



Before night, the horse had recovered his natural spirits, and was searching 

 for something to eat. On the following day a few oats were given to him, 

 and he ate them with so much appetite and ease, that no one looking at him 

 would think that he had been deprived of his lower incisor teeth. On the 

 following day some hay was given to him, which he ate without difficulty, and 

 in a fortnight was dismissed, the wounds being nearly healed *. 



In the majority of these cases of simple fracture a cure might be effected, or 

 should, at least, be attempted, by means of well adapted bandages around the 

 muzzle, confined by straps. It will always be prudent to call in veterinary aid, 

 and it is absolutely necessary in case of compound fracture of the lower jaw. 



Fracture of the spine. — This accident, fortunately for the horse, is not 

 of frequent occurrence, but it has been uniformly fatal. It sometimes happens 

 in the act of falling, as in leaping a wide ditch ; but it oftener occurs while a 

 horse is struggling during a painful operation. It is generally sufficiently evi- 

 dent while the horse is on the ground. Either a snap is heard, indicative of 

 the fracture, or the struggles of the hind-limbs suddenly and altogether cease. 

 In a few cases the animal has been able to get up and walk to his stable ; in 

 others, the existence of the fracture has not been apparent for several hours : 

 showing that the vertebrse, although fractured, may remain in their place for a 

 certain period of time. The bone that is broken is usually one of the posterior 

 dorsal or anterior lumbar vertebra?. There is no satisfactory case upon record 

 of reunion of the fractured parts. 



In the human being, the depressed portion of the spinal arch and of the frac- 

 tured vertebrse have been removed by a dextrous operation, and sensibility and 

 the power of voluntary motion have, in cases few and far between, been restored ; 



* Eec. de MeM. Vet., Nov. 1838. 



