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CHAPTER XIII. 



Fractuebs. 



pbactcbbs in general antbllioe iliac spine back bdttock, 



point op the cannon bone ^pemur hip, point op the 



jaw leg ^navicular bone pastern bones pedal bone 



pelvis ribs first rib shoulder blade — tail thigh — 



tibia trapezium. 



Fractures in General. 



As fractures of the bones of the horse are, as a rule, but little 

 amenable to treatment, owing to the difficulty of reducing and 

 '" setting " them, and of keeping the patient at rest, I shall content 

 myself with describing the comparatively small number of these 

 accidents which may be successfully treated, under ordinary 

 circumstances. 



A fracture may occur straight across the bone ; obliquely ; ' or 

 longitudinally (lengthwise). 



The chief VARIETIES OF FRACTURES are as follows: — 



1. Simple fracture, when the bone is broken, without an 

 external wound communicating with the seat of injury. As the 

 periosteum — the covering membrane of the bone — is generally very 

 strong in the horse; it often keeps the broken surfaces together, 

 and thlis prevents, for the time being, the fracture becoming 

 apparent. 



2. A compound fracture takes place, when one broken end of a 

 bone communicates with an external wound. 



3. When the bone is broken in several pieces, the injury is 

 called a comminuted fracture. 



4. An impacted fracture takes place, when one broken end of a 

 bone is driven into the other broken end. 



Comminuted fracture and impacted fracture, may be either 

 simple or compound. 



