FRACTURES. 443 
accused. Coaptation and contention being impossible, permanent de- 
formity of the hip is unavoidable. But all the troubles caused by this 
fracture disappear always without any treatment, when it remains close and 
not exposed to infection. Recovery is assisted by the application of a 
pitch plaster or of a blistering preparation. Ordinarily after three weeks 
or a month, the subject. returns to his work. Delamotte has related a 
case of fracture with numerous splints and congestive abscesses. The 
animal died of septicemia.’ 
More serious are the fractures of the neck of the ilium. Death may 
-occur rapidly from internal lesions produced by the fragments of the bone. 
In the filly of Tombs, which died in three hours, there was laceration of 
‘the vagina, of the uterus and rupture of the vena cava in front of the 
‘pelvis. Excessive lameness, of long duration, gradual lowering of the hip 
-on the corresponding side, crepitation when the leg rests on the ground, 
such are the principal symptoms of fracture of the neck. Rectal examina- 
tion establishes the diagnosis. 
Treatment is attempted only with costly animals. The animal should 
‘be left loose in a box or be placed in slings. Blistering applications 
have evidently only a very mediocre efficacy. Long continued rest 
‘must be depended upon. The callus, often large, deforms the anterior 
‘diameter of the pelvis and renders females unfit for reproduction. 
The fractures of the cotyloid cavity have for causes falls or slips; the 
.articular surface of the coxal is crushed by the head of the femur. Almost 
calways the cotyloid cavity is divided in three parts; the lines of fractures 
do not seem to correspond to those of the union of the three bones in 
the cavity (Barrier). There is severe lameness, acute pains, sometimes 
-crepitation, even when the leg is not at rest. There is little deformation 
at the hip, outside of a muscular depression. Rectal exploration en- 
lightens the diagnosis; but this is sometimes very difficult, specially when 
the fracture is recent. At the autopsy of a horse, killed on account of 
‘incurable lameness of a hind leg, Prietsch found a fracture of the cotyloid 
-cavity, which had not been diagnosed during life. Such lesion is fatally 
complicated with arthritis.’ 
Fractures of the floor of the pelvis take place in the same condition as 
1In the case of Dr. Kemp, the animal had sustained a fracture of the ex- 
ternal angle of the ilium, but, as demonstrated at the post-mortem, a laceration of the 
‘ilio muscular artery had occurred, giving rise to fatal hemorrhage.—Am. Vet. Rev., 
vol. 6, page 544. ‘ 
2In the case of Tritschler the horse had reared and fell backwards on the near 
‘side. While treated, the leg had become shortened, the coxo femoral joint very prom- 
‘inent. At the autopsy it was found that the fracture was at the middle of the coxal 
bone, the acetabulum being crushed in several pieces and the femur displaced upwards. 
—Amer. Vet. Review, vol. 12, p. 513: 
