33t3 FRACTUKE OF THE SPINE, RIBS. 



comer incisors. The front teeth and jaw were turned like a hook, 

 completely within the lower ones. She was cast, a balling iron 

 put into her mouth, and the surgeon, exerting considerable force, 

 pulled the teeth outward into their former and proper situation. 

 She was then tied up, so that she could not rub her muzzle against 

 anything, and was well fed with bean-meal, and linseed tea. 

 Much inflammation ensued, but it gradually subsided, and, at the 

 expiration of the sixth week, the mouth was quite healed, and 

 scarcely a vestige of the fracture remained. 



The maxillary bone, or lower jaw, is more subject to frac- 

 ture, and particularly in its branches between the tushes and the 

 (ower teeth, and at the symphysis (union by cartilage) between 

 the two branches of the jaw. Its position, its length, and the 

 small quantity of muscle that covers it, especially anteriorly, are 

 among the causes of its fracture, and the same circumstances 

 combine to render a reunion of the divided parts more easy to be 

 accomplished. Mr. Blaine relates 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 eSected 

 the same object by similar means. 



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

 be effected, or should, at least, be attempted, by means of weU- 

 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 evident 

 while the horse is on the ground. Either a snap is heard, indi- 

 cative 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 vertebras, 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 vertebrae. There is no 

 satisfactory case on record of reunion of the fractured parts. 



Fracture op the ribs.— -These fractures are not always easily 

 recognized. Those that are covered by the scapula (shoulder- 

 blade) may exist for a long time without being detected, and those 

 that, are situated posteriorly are so thickly covered by muscles as 

 to reader the detection of the injury almost impossible. 



The ordinary causes of fracture are kicks and blows, or falls.- 

 The fractures are generally about their middle, and, in the true 



