Special Injuries of Bones, Joints and Muscles. 323 



sheath well padded, fixed round the root of the tail and 

 connected in front with a surcingle and collar. Eecovery 

 of power over the tail may be looked for. 



INJUEIES TO THE BONES OF THE TAIL. 



Fracture and dislocation are easily reduced and the 

 bones maintained in proper place by a bandage. If the 

 bones are crushed, or the seat of caries or necrosis, the 

 member should be amputated above the injury. Docking 

 scissors are best for this purpose, but the organ may be 

 laid across a. beam and chopped off with one blow of a 

 hatchet. The hair should first be removed from the part 

 to be cut, and what is above this part tied up to the rump. 

 After the amputation the hair is drawn down over the 

 stump and firmly tied, as close to it as possible, so as to 

 compress the arteries and check bleeding. In cattle and 

 other animals, with short hair on the tails, bleeding may 

 be prevented by a flat tape tied round the tail above the 

 stump for eight hours, or the arteries may be tied, or 

 finally, they may be seared with a hot iron, the part hav- 

 ing been first dusted with powdered resin. 



FBACTUBED RIBS. 



These usually result from falls, blows and other forms 

 of mechanical injury, and may be easily detected by a 

 depression or soft part at the seat of fracture. If simple, 

 they will be readily repaii*ed under the influence of rest 

 and girths to restrict the movements of the chest. But if 

 comminuted, abscesses may form or necrosis ensue, de- 

 manding the removal of the dead or morbid matters. If 

 the fractured ends have been driven in so far as to pene- 

 trate the lung a still more serious complication is met. 

 The air rushes from the tubes of the lacerated lung into 

 the pleural cavity during each inspiration, and as it can- 

 aot find its way back, the whole of that half of the chest 

 is soon filled with air and the lung compressed into a 

 small solid mass attached to the lower end of the wind- 



