EXCISION OF THE RIBS. 
(>0l 
On the 11th of September, 1831,” says M. Ollivier, “ I saw 
a mule, eighteen years old, that had a wound as large as a five- 
sous piece about the middle of the ninth right rib. The wound, 
quite recent, was occasioned by a pointed piece of wood that had 
by some means got into the wadding of the pack-saddle. I co¬ 
vered it with an emollient cataplasm, for a great deal of swelling 
had commenced, and on the morrow there was a tumour as 
large as a cricket-ball, and which was very much inflamed. I 
then sounded the wound, in order to assure myself whether it pe¬ 
netrated far beneath the integument, and I found that the rib was 
perfectly exposed. An incision with my scalpel then proved that 
the periosteum was lacerated for a space of more than two inches 
in length. I applied a stimulating dressing to the wound, for 1 
thought 
possible. 
“ \bth .—The peculiar fetid odour, and the black colour of the 
discharge, told me that caries of the rib had commenced. I 
applied the mixture of Villnte*. 
“ On the following day I found some small rugous granulations, 
which were readily detached from the bone, and adhered to the 
dressing. This convinced me that the caries was rapidly pro¬ 
ceeding; for 1 have often remarked, in the course of my practice, 
that the true exfoliation of carious bones is alw'ays accomplished 
by the forcing away of a portion of bone, of greater or less size, 
by the new growtlis beneath, and not by .simple granulations 
detaching themselves from the carious part. 
“ I continued to apply stimulating dressings to the wound until 
the 28th, at which time the carious portion was so much softened 
that there was spontaneous separation of the fragments of the rib 
to such an extent that I could see the motion of the fractured 
extremities in every act of inspiration and expiration. 
** Hitherto the health of the mule had not been sensibly de¬ 
ranged, but now he began to exhibit evident symptoms of fever. 
I took away five pounds of blood, put the animal on restricted 
diet, and administered some cooling medicine. I was convinced 
that it had now become necessary to remove ail the mortified 
parts; but I hesitated to have recourse to such an operation, on 
account of the danger of injuring the pleura, and making an 
opening into the cavity of the chest. At length, however, I was 
compelled to proceed. 
After having dissected away all the tissues which covered the 
carious portion of the rib, both above and below it, I had a 
wound SIX inches in length. I had prepared two cautery irons 
* As astringent and escliarotic lotion, composed of siibacctatcof leud,and 
the sulphates of zinc and copper dissolved in vinegar.—Y. 
that some unhealthy osseous granulations w'ere not im- 
