124 
FRACTURES AND INJURIES TO THE CRANIAL BONES. 
army. Of 2,984 cases of cranial fracture, 55 affected the occipital bone, 
40 the sphenoid, 88 the frontal, 10 the parietal, 4 the temporal, and 2 
the ethmoid. 
The symptoms of cranial fracture are, in the absence of displacement, 
often very ill-defined. Local swelling and pain are often absent, even 
slight depressions in the skull often escape observation, and do not 
always produce cerebral disturbance. Should the dislocation be con¬ 
siderable, marked interference with consciousness, equilibrium, respira¬ 
tion, and circulation may result. The animal shows spasmodic seizures, 
and is unable to stand. 
Prognosis is uncertain. As long as only the external plate is injured, 
the fracture goes on well, especially if no dangerous complications exist. 
But where the inner plate is divided the condition becomes exceedingly 
grave, doubly so where the fracture is complicated. Recovery occurs, 
however, even in such cases. Uebelen saw a dog and Meyer a cow 
recover, in both of which the brain was exposed and injured. Whitlam- 
smith saw a dog in which the brain protruded in consequence of injury 
with a knife. A piece as large as a bean was removed. For two weeks 
the dog showed paralysis of the right side and manege movements ; then 
giadual recovery began and finally became complete. Moller has often 
seen injuries in horses and dogs successfully treated where both skull 
and brain were injured. In a dog deafness remained, and its behaviour 
suggested that sensation was also defective. Some years later death 
resulted, and post-mortem showed a well-marked injury to the temporal 
bone and to the subjacent portions of the hemisphere of the cerebrum. 
Where the wounds become infected the animals usually die of purulent 
meningitis. In horses Moller has repeatedly treated injuries of the 
parietal bone caused by animals running against sharp objects. In one 
the dura mater was exposed. As the patients came for treatment soon 
after injury, and antisepsis was carefully carried out, healing was effected 
by primary intention in from three to four weeks, without either consti¬ 
tutional disturbance or formation of pus. It is often impossible to dis¬ 
cover the extent of the injuries produced by the fracture. Prognosis 
must accordingly be guarded, notably when brain symptoms make their 
appearance, and especially when these have existed for several days, or 
have appeared after the lapse of some time. A favourable termination 
is to be expected when no brain symptoms like dulness, irritability, 
spasms, Ac., appear during the first eight days after injury. Until this 
lapse of time prognosis must always remain doubtful. 
Groning observed fracture of the left parietal in a horse through falling over 
backwards. Some days later slight improvement set in, but, though feedino- 
was not interrupted, periodical excitement and fright were present. On the 
sixth day epileptiform attacks occurred, and death followed on the seventh, 
