308 FRACTURES. 



resulting deformity was slight, and the injury had in no way 

 injuriously affected the action, I would not consider this accident, 

 after recovery, to be an unsoundness. 



Ribs. 



The>se accidents are usually caused by kicks, collisions, falls, or 

 sudden starts into the oollax by harness horees. Unless the lungs 

 or pleurae (the membranes which line the ribs ajid cover the 

 lungs) are penetrated by the broken ends, no bad results need be 

 anticipated. If the fractured ends have wounded the lungs, the 

 tissue beneath the skin will soon become filled with air. This 

 swelling can be distinguished from an effusion of serum or blood 

 by the fact of its emitting a crackling sound when the hand is 

 passed over it. These complicated cases can seldom be treated 

 successfully. It is bad practice to make an external wound for 

 examination. If a compound fracture of this nature exists, the 

 operator should endeavour to convert it into a simple fracture by 

 closing the wound. The external opening may be covered ' over 

 with a thick coating of pitch. The practice of bandaging the 

 chest, in cases of broken ribs, does not seem to act well with 

 horses ; although it is generally beneficial with human beings. 



It is not very uncommon to see horses with an abrupt depression 

 over one of their ribs, caused by a fracture on some previous 

 occasion. 



Pain evinced at the time of girthing up, is, sometimes, the first 

 indication of a broken rib. 



First Rib. 



CAUSES. — Post-mortem examinations and investigations of the 

 history of 'the respective cases demonstrate that shoulder lameness 

 is generally caused by fracture of the first rib. This accident 

 usually occurs by the animal making a sudden start forward in 

 harness, when there is a comparatively heavy weight behind him, 

 and especially when he has been hanging back in the collar. 

 Hence, impetuous, nervous, and irritable horses are most liable to 

 get hurt in this manner. We may reasonably assume that draught 

 liorses which have to do their work at a ti'ot, like omnibus horses, 

 are more apt to fracture the first rib, than cart horses which have 

 to toil at a walk. It is evident that a forward plunge, with one 

 shoulder more in advance than the other shoulder, would be more 

 likely to cause this accident than if both shoulders met the collar 

 simultaneously. A horse which has fractured the first rib on one 

 side will, occasionally, after recovery, repeat the operation on the 

 other side. Here, the memory of the pain does not cure the vice 



