THE CERVICAL VERTEBRA IN A HEIFER. 449 
Gohier, as an illustration of what these cases generally are ? A 
gelding was brought, having his neck bent to the left at the mid- 
dle — a little inclined downwards, and firmly fixed in this position. 
The animal could neither lift it, nor straighten it, much more bend 
it towards the right. He never lay down, and if it was attempted 
to straighten the neck, or to elevate the head, the animal imme- 
diately backed, and threw himself down if the attempt was per- 
sisted in. The accident was occasioned by his being entangled in 
the halter during the night. 
Having uselessly attempted various means to reduce the sup- 
posed dislocation, a mechanical contrivance was at length resorted 
to. A power was employed to act on the dislocation, in a direction 
contrary to that by which it had been caused. The convex pro- 
jection of the neck was brought against a post, strong and well 
fixed, and the horse was fixed in this position by various halters. 
A strong halter was then attached to the head, and the grooms 
were directed to pull equally but firmly, so as to bring back the 
head, if possible, into its natural direction. Having succeeded in 
this, they maintained the head and neck in this position for several 
days, by means of splints securely bound on each side of the neck. 
A similar case of this incomplete luxation was published by 
M. Rebel, in 1825. This accident likewise resulted from being 
cast at night. The mare being tied to the rack at night, had con- 
trived to entangle one of her fore-legs in the head-stall, and had 
got partly up, and fallen down again several times. She was 
found lying on her right side, her head and neck supported by 
the wall, and which had bent them upon each other. M. Lebel did 
not see the animal until the next morning, when he found her in 
the following condition : — The neck deviated considerably from its 
natural direction, and described a curved line with its convexity 
to the right. The vertebral column presented on its concave side 
a little depression, not unaptly represented by the union of two 
lines forming an obtuse angle, and indicating the precise spot of 
displacement. The muscles of the trachea and neck generally 
followed the direction which this luxation forced on them. The 
head was depressed — the right eyelid and the muscles of that side 
of the face were swelled. The neck, still to a certain degree 
under the guidance of the will, easily changed its direction, but it 
was the whole of the neck which moved, its curious curved ap- 
pearance still remaining. The animal expressed considerable pain 
when his head was lifted up or drawn to the right ; and if he was 
attempted to be backed in this way, he soon escaped from the 
grasp with considerable violence, and the neck suddenly assumed 
its semicircular form. The swelling of the neck not permitting 
