DISTORTION OF THE NECK. 
143 
consequence of brain disease, or following intoxication produced by coal 
gas. The same is noticed in canaries. 
(3) Inflammation of the soft parts, especially of the muscles, consequent 
on severe strains and lacerations, is produced in horses by falling, and is 
often described as subluxation of the cervical vertebrae. Fambach had 
under observation a horse which, by hanging back in the halter, produced 
rupture of the round portion of the ligamentum nuchae just behind the 
occiput; pus formation and necrosis occurred, and were followed by 
death. Flessa describes a case of torticollis in a horse produced by 
rupture of the levator humeri muscle at the border between the upper 
and middle thirds ; recovery occurred in two months. 
(4) Subluxations and fractures of the cervical vertebrae. Complete 
luxations of the body of the vertebrae, as above stated, are almost always 
fatal. On the other hand, subluxations, accompanied by distortion of 
the neck, may occur without injury to the spinal cord. In France the 
condition is described as “ entorse vertebro-cervicale,” and consists in 
subluxation of one or other of the oblique processes of the bone. As 
the bodies of the vertebrae are attached to one another by cartilage, their 
division is more appropriately described as diastasis, but this is a condition 
not infrequently complicated with fracture of the oblique processes. 
According to Schrader, Hippocrates declared that the conditions described 
as displacement of the cervical vertebrae were often only muscular 
diseases, and that Absyrtos, in his contemporary History, expressed 
himself in the same sense. 1 Lebel, Hurtrel d’Arboval, and others com¬ 
bated the possibility of displacement of the cervical vertebrae, and 
supported their contention by citing cases of spontaneous recovery. 
Hertwig has shown, however, that such displacement may occur in 
consequence of rupture of the ligaments of the oblique processes. 
Williams found degenerative processes in the inter-articular ligaments. 
In other cases the oblique processes aie fractured. Gtuitaud and 
others could even detect distinct crepitation. Busse states having 
directly felt the broken oblique process of the vertebra. Holler 
detected this fracture on post-mortem examination. In 1892 he treated 
a horse which had been found one morning cast in its stall and unable 
to rise even with assistance. In spite of all efforts it was only got up 
next day, and then showed unmistakable symptoms of torticollis. The 
neck was bent at its middle point, at a rather sharp angle, and directed 
downwards and towards the right side. The head could certainly 
be pushed towards the left, producing crepitation, but immediately 
fell back into the abnormal position when released. Post-mortem 
showed the oblique processes of the 4tli and 5th cervical vertebra) to 
1 Sed te nolo latere, non luxationem esse sed perversionem (Schrader). 
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