FRACTURES OF THE BONES. 297 



quicker by the addition of a small quantity of alum or common 

 salt. The scissors shown in Fig. 66 (a) are the most practicable 

 for the removal of this dressing. Tripolith dressing (a mix- 

 ture of plaster-of -Paris and soot) can be applied in the same 

 manner as the plaster. Its composition is said to be much lighter 

 and it dries much more rapidly. Silicate of sodium dressing 

 has the advantage of lightness, durability, and of being removed 

 easily, but it has one disadvantage, and that is it dries slowly, 

 sometimes taking a couple of hours. The author likes this form 

 of dressing best, and to overcome the drawback of slow hardening 

 has placed thin layers of wire gauze between the dressings. Flan- 

 nel may be used as an under layer. Another dressing is a mixture 

 of benzoate of sodium and silicate of sodium. The dressing may 

 be left in place until we feel sure that union has taken place. In 

 cases where the dressing has been too tight, or if the patient shows 

 restlessness, whining, crying, loss of appetite, 

 or fever, indicating that something is wrong ^^'^ ^ 



in the fractured region, the dressing must be 

 removed at once. (Fig. 66.) 



In complete fractures we follow the same 

 rules as in the subcutaneous forms — that is 

 to say, we endeavor in one way or another 

 to hold the broken ends of the bone together 

 while the wound is healing, and at the same 

 time to dry up the wound antiseptically. 

 This is rather difficult to do in the dog, but 

 it may be accomplished by making a " win- Effects Xgh^^dagmg 

 dow" or hole in the dressing. The wound ofaspUnt. 



must first be made thoroughly clean, dressed 

 antiseptically, and then we apply a plaster dressing according to the 

 usual method, and place a piece of wadding upon the wound. When 

 the dressing becomes hardened we cut a hole over the wound by 

 means of a probe-pointed bistoury, coating the edges of the opening 

 with a small quantity of plaster-of- Paris or collodion in order to 

 prevent the discharge of pus, etc., from running under the dressing. 

 The rest of the operation is performed according to the general 

 rules followed in the treatment of wounds. In cases where 

 the fracture is fresh and the wound is very small we cover it with 

 an antiseptic dressing (for instance, tincture of iodine and several 



