142 CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY. 



position, and the attempt to do this frequently ends in failure. 

 Bandages and strappings of different kinds covered with gum, 

 plaster of Paris, starch, some preparations of pitch, etc., are 

 most commonly used, but the difficulty is to get them to fit 

 closely without causing gangrene, and especially with the 

 elbow joint. Poroplastic felt, cardboard, brown paper moulded 

 to the limb, are each sometimes used with success, but with each 

 the prognosis as to a complete cure should always be guarded. 



In one very troublesome elbow dislocation which occurred 

 this year in a toy Manchester terrier, we attained a successful 

 result so far as the dislocation was concerned by wiring the 

 radius and ulna into place, but the patient never satisfactorily 

 regained full use of the leg. Under chloroform and strict 

 antiseptic precautions holes were made through the radius and 

 ulna with a fine gimlet. Fine wire was passed through these 

 and the skin wound treated in the ordinary way. ^ 



Fractures are termed simple when there is no external 

 wound, compound when the skin is broken, comminuted when 

 the bone is broken into several fragments, and complicated 

 when there is serious injury to some artery or the structures 

 in the vicinity. The term " greenstick" is applied to a fracture 

 such as frequently occurs in puppies or kittens in which the 

 bone is bent and only partially fractured. In a simple fracture 

 reduction is effected and the ends brought into apposition by 

 grasping the limb firmly with one hand above the seat of 

 injury and placing the lower portion into position with the 

 other hand, the animal being held firmly by an assistant or 

 placed under the influence of a general anaesthetic. The 

 divided ends are then maintained in place by the application 

 of bandages and splints, the latter being made of wood, metal, 

 leather, cardboard, or poroplastic felt. In order to prevent 

 chafing of the skin the limb is first covered with lint, wadding, 

 or a bandage, especial attention being paid to all bony pro- 

 minences ; the splints (also carefully protected) are then laid 



^ "Veterinary Record," Vol. XII., p. 344. 



