433 
CASE OF FRACTURE OF THE SPINOUS PROCESSES 
OF THE DORSAL VERTEBRAE. 
By James Turner, M.R.C.V.S . , Montreal. 
REFERRING to my note book, I beg to solicit your attention to a 
very singular case. I was called upon, on the 17th of October 
last, to visit a horse at the government stables, belonging to 
Captain Jones, of the 23d regiment, Welsh Fusiliers, which I 
found very unwell, off his feed, and “ stiff all over,” as the phrase 
goes, much tucked up in the belly, with his anus open, and dis- 
charging quantities of dirty mucous matters, along with a few hard 
portions of excrementitious substance. His ears and nether extre- 
mities were of their natural heat — pulse strong, at 36 — breathing 
easy and regular. In making the necessary inquiry about the 
previous usage and treatment of the horse, I found he had come 
from Lorel on the 15th, a distance of 45 miles, to run a steeple 
chase, which w’as to come off in the neighbourhood of Montreal on 
the 17th. The horse had been two davs in Montreal prior to the 
arrival of his owner, and w’as off his feed all the time ; but the 
young man who had charge of him did not call in any advice 
before his master arrived, not thinking the horse so bad as he really 
was. His owner informed me, that on the evening of the 14th 
he had been leaping him at a fence and ditch as training exercise 
preparatory to the steeple chase. On the 17th he shied at one of 
his leaps, which he took very awkwardly, and fell with great force 
upon his right shoulder, injuring his rider very much in the face 
and right arm. The horse was tried at the same leap a second 
time, but could not take it. Next morning he was put on board of 
a steam-boat for Montreal. The day was cold and damp, and 
there, no doubt, along with the Injury mentioned, he contracted a 
heavy cold, and had a very bad cough by the time I first saw him. 
On being informed of the fall, I had him stripped, and on exami- 
nation found much inflammation and swelling on the near or left 
side of the withers, with one of the spinous processes of the dorsal 
vertebrae pointing through the skin, which I then believed to have 
been caused by the fall. Being afraid of congestion of the lungs 
from the slow and full pulse, and the probable injury of the chest 
from the fall, I took at once two gallons of blood from the jugular 
vein, and gave half an ounce of nitre with one drachm of tartarized 
antimony in a bran mash, bandaging all four legs, and adminis- 
tering a clyster, which seemed to give some relief. 
18 th . — I found him much the same. The pulse 42, and weaker 
— extremities and breathing all natural, feeding rather better. 
