COMPOUND FRACTURE OF THE JAW. 
195 
COMPOUND FRACTURE OF THE JAW. 
By John Roalfe Cox, M.R.C.V.S., London. 
Sir, — I have much pleasure in complying with your re- 
quest, and herewith forward the particulars of the case of 
“ compound fracture of the jaw 5 ’ recently under my care, 
which is perhaps the more interesting from the opportunity 
its situation afforded of observing the period in which the 
progressive stages of reparation of bone take place in the 
horse. It was an aged animal , who met with the accident 
through the kick of another in the following manner : — The 
“pair,” it appears, were waiting with the carriage at the 
residence of the gentleman to whom they belonged, on the 
night of the 1st of January; when one became fidgety, got 
over the pole, and in thus plunging both horses fell. They 
continued to kick themselves out of harness, and in so doing 
the above injury was sustained. Upon attending the horses, 
I found that the one only suffered from skin wounds, from 
which he soon recovered ; but on seeing the other , the peculiar 
contracted and flattened appearance of the cheek rendered 
the more serious nature of his injury sufficiently obvious. 
The main fracture was directly transverse, commencing just 
anterior to the spot where the sub-maxillary artery crosses 
the bone. On examining the fracture, the anterior division 
of the bone remained in statu quo, from its connection at the 
symphysis being undisturbed ; but the other portion of it 
could be forced sideways to and fro to a considerable extent, 
and, of course, with corresponding crepitus ; so doubtless 
from this freedom of motion the fracture took a course 
directly between two of the molar teeth. I also considered 
there was, in addition to this, an oblique crack in the bone, 
not completely fractured, from the circumstance that on 
examining with both hands the anterior fixed diversion of 
the fracture, per se, I distinguished a second “ crepitus,” but 
considerably fainter, and this caused much pain to the 
animal. Opposite to this spot, and about three parts of an 
inch in front of the main fracture, w r as a raggedly-cut 
wound completely through the skin, as though inflicted by the 
caulking of the shoe, and from it was oozing discoloured 
serum. In setting the bone in position there was a little 
difficulty, owing to the edges having become crossed, the one 
upon the other, and “caught,” as it w r ere. This, however, soon 
