320 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



generally at the neck of the bone, and of the transverse and commi- 

 nuted varieties. 



Symptoms. — The diagnosis is not always easy. The symptoms are 

 inability to rest the leg on the ground and to carry weights, and they 

 are present in various degrees from .slight to severe. The leg rests 

 upon the toe and seems shortened, and locomotion is performed by 

 jumps. Moving the leg while examining it and raising the foot for 

 inspection seem to produce much pain and cause the animal to rear. 

 Crepitation is readily felt with the hand upon the shoulder when the 

 leg is moved. If the fracture occurs in the upper part of the bone, 

 overlapping of the fragments and displacement will be considerable. 



The fracture of this bone is usually classed among the more serious 

 accidents, though cases may occur which are followed by recovery 

 without very serious ultimate results, especially when the seat of the 

 injury is at some of the upper angles of the bone, or about the acro- 

 mion crest. But if the neck and the joint are the parts involved, com- 

 plications are apt to be present which are likely to disable the animal 

 for life. 



Treatm,ent. — If there is no displacement a simple adhesive dressing, 

 to strengthen and immobilize the parts, will be sufficient. A coat of 

 black pitch dissolved with wax and Venice turpentine, and kept in 

 place over the region with oakum or linen bands, will be all the treat- 

 ment required, especially if the animal is kept quiet in the slings. 



Displacement can not be remedied, and reduction is next to impos- 

 sible. Sometimes an iron plate is applied over the parts and retained 

 by bandages, as in the dressing of Bourgelat ; and this may be advan- 

 tageously replaced by a pad of thick leather. In smaller animals the 

 parts are retained by figure-8 bandages, embracing both the normal 

 and the diseased shoulders, crossing each other in the axilla and cov- 

 ered with a coating of adhesive mixture. 



FKACTUEES OF THE HUMEBUS. 



These are more common in small than in large animals, and are 

 always the result of external traumatism, such as falls, kicks, and col- 

 lisions. They are generally very oblique, are often comminuted, and 

 though more usually involving the shaft of the bone will in some cases 

 extend to the upper end and into the articular head. 



Sym^ptoms. — There is ordinarily considerable displacement in con- 

 sequence of the overlapping of the broken ends of the bone, and this, 

 of course, causes more or less shortening of the limb. There will also 

 be swelling, with difficulty of locomotion, and crepitation will be 

 easy of detection. This fracture is always a serious damage to the 

 patient, leaving him with a permanently shortened limb and an incur- 

 able, lifelong lameness. 



Treatment. — If treatment is determined on it will consist in the 

 reduction of the fracture by means of extension and counter exten- 

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