lameness: its causes and treatment. 339 



irregularity in the direction of the spine, and there may be a diminu- 

 tion or loss of sensation in the posterior part of the trunk, while the 

 anterior portion continues to be as sensitive as before. In making 

 an attempt to get upon his feet, however, upon the removal of the 

 hobbles, only the fore part of the body will respond to the effort, a 

 degree of paraplegia being present, and while the head, neck, and 

 fore part of the body will be raised, the hind quarters and hind legs 

 wiU remain inert. The animal may perhaps succeed in rising and 

 probably may be removed to his stall, but the displacement of the 

 bone will follow, converting the fracture into one of the complete 

 kind, either through the exertion of walking or by a renewed attempt 

 to rise after another fall before reaching his stall. By this time the 

 paralysis is complete, and the extension of the meningitis, which has 

 become established, is a consummation soon reached. 



To say that the prognosis of fracture of the body of the vertebra is 

 always serious is to speak very mildly. It would be better, perhaps, 

 to say that occasionally a case may recover. Fractures of the trans- 

 verse processes are less serious. 



Treatment. — Instead of stating the indication in this class of cases 

 as if assuming them to be amenable to treatment, the question natur- 

 ally would be: Can any treatment be recommended in a fracture of 

 the body of a vertebra? The only indication in such a case, in our 

 opinion, is to reach the true diagnosis in the shortest possible time 

 and to act accordingly. If there is displacement, and the existence 

 of serious lesions may be inferred from the nervous symptoms, the 

 destruction of the suffering animal appears to suggest itself as the one 

 conclusion in which considerations of policy, humanity, and science at 

 once unite. 



If, however, it is fairly evident that no displacement exists; that 

 pressure upon the spinal cord is not yet present ; that the animal with 

 a little assistance is able to rise upon his feet and to walk a short dis- 

 tance — it may be well to experiment upon the case to the extent of 

 placing the patient in the most favorable circumstances for recovery 

 and allow nature to operate without further interference. This may 

 be accomplished by obtaining immobility of the whole body as much 

 as possible, and especially of the suspected region, by placing the 

 patient in slings, in a stall sufficiently narrow to preclude lateral mo- 

 tion, and covering the loins with a thick coat of agglutinative mixture. 

 Developments should be watched and awaited. 



fracture of the ribs. 



The different regions of the chest are not equally exposed to the 

 violence that causes fractures of the ribs, and they are therefore 

 either more common or more easily discovered during life at some 

 points than at others. The more exposed regions are the middle and 



