508 SURGICAL DISEASES. 



which marks the fracture. To reduce, a dislocation, two persons 

 must lay firm hold of the two parts of the limb on each side of the 

 injured joint, and then extending them strongly, the head of the , 

 bone*in slight and recent cases will be felt to slip into the socket. 

 It is only, however, in the knee that any inexperienced operator 

 is likely to succeed, for in the hip, which is the most common seat 

 of dislocation, great tact and knowledge of the anatomy of the 

 part are required to effect a cure. Here the head of the bone 

 may be removed from the socket in three different directions, 

 namely, either forwards, upwards, or backwards, and the pull 

 must be in the direction of the socket, or it will do harm rather 

 than good. At the same time while an assistant is making the 

 extension, the operator himself, with his hand or a towel, lifts the 

 thigh from the body, with the view of raising the head of the 

 bone over the edge of the cup, into which it is his object to con- 

 duct it. Chloroform should always be given during the opera- 

 tion, if the attempt is not immediately successful when made 

 directly after the accident, inasmuch as it relaxes the muscles in 

 a remarkable manner, and enables the operator to proceed with- 

 out being counteracted by the struggles of the dog. Dislocated 

 toes are sometimes reduced directly after the accident occurs, but 

 they are very apt to return to their deformed condition imme- 

 diately, and a small splint should be bound on at once. In dis- 

 locations of the knee, also, a bandage should be applied, so as to 

 keep 'the joint slightly bent, and prevent the foot from being 

 put to the ground. 



The operations, which are likely to be practised on the dog, are 

 somewhat numerous, but the only ones fit to be attempted by 

 any but the professed veterinarian are bleeding, the insertion of 

 a seton, and the closing of wounds by the ligature. 



Bleeding is effected with a common lancet in the neck vein. 



