410 FRACTURES. 



fracture, although, perhaps, there may be scarcely the possibility of elevating 

 them to any considerable degree. Should much irritation be the consequence 

 of the nature or direction of the fracture, proper means must be adopted to 

 allay the constitutional disturbance that may be produced. General or local 

 bleedings will be most serviceable*. 



Fracture of the pelvis. — This is not of frequent occurrence, on account 

 of the thickness of the soft parts which surround the pelvis, and protect it 

 from injury, but it is of a most serious character when it does take place, on 

 account of the violence which must have been necessary to produce it. The 

 usual causes are falls from a considerable height, or heavy blows on the pelvis. 

 The injury may have reference to the internal or external portion of the pelvis. 

 In the first case, the danger may not be discovered until irreparable mischief 

 is produced. When it is chiefly external, the altered appearance of the hip 

 speaks for itself. It is rarely in our power to afford any assistance in cases 

 like this, except when there are fractured portions of the bone that may be 

 partially or entirely removed, or the projecting spine of the ilium is only par- 

 tially fractured. 



M. Levrat gives an interesting account of a case of fracture of the right 

 side of the pelvis, near the acetabulum, in leaping a wide ditch when hunting. 

 " The lameness which it occasioned," says he, " was such that the toe of the 

 foot was scarcely permitted to touch the ground while the motion was at all 

 rapid. When the motion was slow the foot was placed flat on the ground, but 

 with great difficulty moved forward. On applying my right hand to the fractured 

 part, which did not exhibit any heat, and seizing with my left hand the point 

 of the thigh, I felt a movement of the ischium, which easily enabled me to 

 judge of the fracture and its seat, and to discover that none of the fractured 

 parts were displaced. I ordered her to be kept quiet for three weeks, and then 

 permitted to wander about the stable. At the end of two months she was 

 mounted and exercised at a foot pace, and in another month she was enabled 

 to sustain the longest day's work without lameness. In the following year 

 she was placed in the stud of the Baron de Stael, where she produced some 

 good foalsf." 



The Annals of the school at Alfort contain the case of an old mare with frac- 

 ture of the pelvis and of the left ischium, and in whom union of the bones was 

 effected so promptly, that on the thirtieth day very little lameness remained, 

 and she shortly returned to her usual work. She soon afterwards died from 

 some other cause, and the state of the osseous parts was thoroughly examined. 

 These cases, however, stand almost alone, and post mortem examination dis- 

 covers fractures of the ischium and the pelvis, and each bone divided into many 

 pieces, so that it is impossible for the hind quarters of the animal to be sup- 

 ported — also fractures of the external angle of the ilium, which rarely is again 

 consolidated, and roughness of the bony fragments, which produce sad laceration 

 of the soft parts. Fracture of the ischium presents almost insuperable difficulties 

 — that of the ilium is uniformly fatal J. 



Fracture of the tail. — This accident is not of frequent occurrence, 

 except from accidental entanglement, or the application of brute force. The 

 fracture is easily recognised, frequently by the eye and always by the fingers. 

 If the tail is not amputated, a cord passed over a pulley, and with a small 



* Cases of anchylosis of the vertebra of extending even to the haunch. — Sandifort' 



the horse are too frequent, from the heavy Mus. Anat. vol. ii. p. 38 to 44, and Hi. p. 24:i. 

 weights and sudden and violent concussion f Rec. de Med. Vet., Nov. 1831, and 



which are too frequently thrown on these Veterinarian, vol. vi. p. 390. 

 parts. Complete anchylosis of all the dorsal J Diet. Vet. Mar. Hurtrel D'Arboval, vol, 



aud lumbar vertebree have been produced, ii. p, 586. 



