EXCISION OF ANTERIOR -PORTION OF LOWER JAW. 815 
and that the elucidation of the one mainly depends upon the 
competent comprehension of the other. 
EXCISION OF ANTERIOR PORTION OF LOWER 
JAW OF A YOUNG CALF. 
By Alex. E. McGtllivray, Y.S., Banff, N.B. 
On the 7th of June last I was called to a fine pure short- 
horned calf belonging to a person in this district, which was 
said to have torn its lower jaw by fixing it on a hook in the 
wall of the stall. The little animal, which was only seven 
days old, presented a most pitiable appearance, the upper 
part of the anterior portion of the lower jaw being one mass 
of torn flesh ; the wound was beginning to fester and smell 
most abominably. On examining the parts I found that the 
rami of the jaw were torn asunder, the left ramus being also 
fractured — the detached portion being in several pieces. 
Taking all things into consideration, I decided for an imme- 
diate excision of the whole injured mass, but the owner 
would not hear of such a thing being done. I therefore 
cleared away all offending matter, several small pieces of 
bone, washed the parts well with a solution of carbolic acid 
in linseed oil, and finally made all fast and firm by bringing 
the lacerated edges together with several sutures of fine 
silver wire. These means, however, did not succeed, and in 
three days I had a message to go and do with the poor little 
sufferer whatever seemed good to me. I lost no time in 
attending, and at once cut away all the injured parts, includ- 
ing both rami of the jawbone, for about two inches, all 
the teeth, of course, and the whole surrounding soft struc- 
tures, leaving only the lower lip and external integuments. 
I then placed some medicated cotton in the cavity between 
the lip and remaining portion of jaw, saturating it with 
diluted carbolic acid, and applied a slight amount of pressure 
with a linen bandage. On calling a few days afterwards I 
found my patient progressing wonderfully well ; only a little 
extra granulation had taken place, which was checked by the 
application of a heated iron, the ordinary caustics being to my 
mind inappropriate in such a case as this. In the course of 
three weeks, the parts presented a pretty natural appearance, 
the lip having resumed a normal position and contracted on 
what remained of the jaw ; the calf never having left off 
taking its milk from the pail. It now eats cut grass or any- 
