450 SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF DISLOCATION OE 
any reduction, M. Lebel was at first content with bleeding, and 
reducing the food, and rubbing some emollient ointments on the 
part. After awhile, however, he had recourse to an apparatus 
proposed by M. Gohier, and of which the description in the fore- 
going case will give some idea. After taking the convex pro- 
jection of the neck as his point d'appui, he drew the head forward, 
and raised it, and he thought that he had perfectly succeeded, 
when, after some manipulation, he heard a decided crepitus. 
The articular surfaces seemed to have assumed their natural rela- 
tive situation, but they did not preserve it for a moment; and 
when the neck was for a moment left unsupported, w r hile fitting 
on the bandages, it resumed its former unnatural position. The 
application of this apparatus could not be long continued, whether 
it was from the pain which it occasioned, or the impatience of the 
animal. Nevertheless, on the following day, and although the 
neck had again resumed its unnatural direction, the animal was 
sensibly better, and, what it had not been able to do before, lifted 
its head to the rack in search of food. The cure was then left to 
nature, and in less than two months from the date of the accident, 
she was perfectly well, and not the slightest deformity remained in 
any part of the cervical region. 
These facts, related by Messrs. Gohier and Lebel, do they esta- 
blish the doctrine of incomplete luxation of the cervical vertebrae. 
We very much doubt it. We rather think with Mr. Rebel that, 
in these cases, it is only a question of simple torsion of the neck, 
proceeding from spasmodic contraction of the muscles of the con- 
cave side, — a contraction which, in aggravated cases, might be 
able to disjoin the articular surfaces of the vertebrae. We will not 
repeat our reasons for this opinion: we will only say, that it has 
been demonstrated by various post-mortem examinations, and par- 
ticularly by those of that regretted Professor, Gohier, that the 
horses which have veritable vertebral luxations, uniformly die in 
consequence of the lacerations which are produced, while, in the 
other cases, which have little resemblance to the former, the patients 
get well. The bulk of the vertebrae of the neck of the horse — the 
manner in which they are indented with each other — the peculiar 
intimacy and strength of their union, leaves no manner of daubt 
that luxation of these bones could not be accomplished without 
inevitable death — either immediate or under the form of universal 
palsy. 
Another case is on record of incomplete luxation of the cervical 
vertebrae in an ass, the consequence of being cast in the night. 
The neck was bent inferiorly, and to the right. Proper bandages 
were with great difficulty applied ; but the animal completely re- 
