446 The Farmer's Veterinary Adviser. 



Treatment. All cases require a high-heeled shoe ex- 

 ceptiag such as are attended with dislocation of the knee- 

 cap, in which case a thin-heeled shoe with a projection 

 forward at the toe is indicated. Kest is essential, and in. 

 case of very acute inflammation, fomentations should pre- 

 cede repeated blistering or firing. A long rest is impera- 

 tive. In ulceration of the bones and dislocation of the 

 knee-cap in young animals, the fault is mainly in nutrition, 

 and a rich diet, tonics, pure air and sunshine are demanded. 



FBACTURE OF THE LEG BETWEEN THE THIGH AND HOCK. 



The principal hone of this region (tibia) lying superficially 

 on the inner side of the leg is very liable to fracture from 

 kicks. The symptoms are patent enough when the fract- 

 ure is complete, the bone hanging useless, and the broken 

 ends being easily felt beneath the skin. But in very 

 many cases the bone is only split part of the way through 

 and the patient may show little lameness, may even do a 

 fair day's work or perform a long journey with his broken 

 bone. But with the occurrence of the exudation and soft- 

 ening around the seat of injury, the bone gives way under 

 a slight strain, and thus the fracture appears to have oc- 

 curred from getting up in the stall, though several hard 

 days' work may have been done since the injury was re- 

 ceived. 



Treatment. In all cases of blows on the inner side of 

 the leg in which a line of tenderness extends from the 

 point of the bone which has been struck, place the animal 

 in sUngs and wait for repair. A compound or commi- 

 nuted fracture of this bone need hardly be treated in large 

 (\uadrupeds. A simple transverse fracture may recover 

 in slings, with a firm bandage and splints from the foot 

 up to above the stifle. I have had a fair recovery even 

 with a veiy oblique fraciure, but this should only be at- 

 tempted in valuable breeding animals. 



The smaller hone of the leg (fibula) may be fractured by 

 !aUing in shafts or across a pole or beam. The resulting 



