‘FRACTURES. 435 
IT.— Humerus. 
Fractures of the humerus are ordinarily the results of traumatic actions 
or falls, and sometimes of muscular contractions. Rossignol, Ernes, 
Goubaux, have seen fractures take place while walking without excessive 
effort... They are in general twice as frequent on the epiphysis as on the 
body of the bone. Stockfleth has collected nineteen cases of fractures of 
the extremities and only seven of the body. Whether epiphysar or 
diaphysar, recovery is possible, specially in small animals. Stockfleth and 
Moller have treated successfully dogs affected with bilateral condyloid 
fractures. But prognosis is serious for animals of large species ; though in 
few exceptional cases, where the displacement and mobility of the 
extremities were not excessive, consolidation was obtained (Henon, Cholet, 
Lafosse, Lafontaine, Furlanetto). Lafosse has watched a case which, left 
to himself, was able to resume work in a stage-coach after three months. 
A similar result occurred in a six weeks colt. In the Veterinarian (1855) 
is found the observation of a four-year-old horse which recovered of a 
fracture of the humerus without the application of bandage; the animal 
was very quiet, the fracture simple and with good adaption of the extrem- 
ities ; the animal was placed in slings; after three months he walked easily. 
When the ends of the bone remain close to each other, consolidation 
may take place without bandage; but generally it is an oblique rracture, 
comminuted ; the fragments overlap, contention is difficult. 
Black pitch has often been utilized for the making of bandages in fractures 
of the humerus. They can be alternate with mixture of pitch and oakum 
(Baritaud), or the method of Delwart (See Fracture of the Scapula). 
With this bandage, Furlanetto has cured a steer two years old and several 
young ruminants. He always operated with the animal standing. The 
patients were allowed to lie down and get up during the whole treat- 
ment. 
Lafontaine used a mixture of alcohol (x liter) and crystallized alum 
(500 grammes), which he boiled down to the consistency of syrup ; he also 
prepared a mixture of equal parts of rosin and black pitch. Having anine- 
year-old horse to treat, suffering with fracture of the upper part of the 
humerus, he surrounded the leg with oakum impregnated with the solu- 
tion of alum; placed two splints, covered with a coat of the mixture of 
rosin and pitch, crossed in X over the fracture, and two others, also covered 
with the same mixture, alongside thé leg; one, the external, extended 
to the withers; the other, internal, as far as the axilla. Circular bands, 
1 Burchsted has recorded one case in a fifteen months’ bull injured during the act 
of copulation.—American Vet. Review, vol. 22, p. 571. 
