620 
FRACTURED TIBIA IN A COW MENDED. 
thing occurred by which we would be better able to judge of the 
case. And so I left. 
July Is/.—Received a message to visit my patient again, as the 
servant-man had been viewing her that morning, and had found 
out (by what means I do not know) that her hock was “ out of 
joint”—so I just made the short reply, “ A clever chap that man of 
yours, no doubt! Nevertheless, I will come and see her.” Shortly 
after I repaired to the place, and to my surprise, at a first glance, 
discovered that, instead of the hock joint being luxated , the tibia 
was fractured, and that the fracture was a little above the point of 
the hock, and direct across. On explaining to the owner how the 
case stood, he seemed much amazed, and cried out “ She’s not worth 
a farthing : there’s not a shadow of chance!” But I told him, and 
with a good deal of confidence, that there was a chance, and “ a 
good one too and, if he would go by my directions, I made little 
doubt but I could put “ all right.” To which he most readily 
consented; yet not without that little misgiving which so many 
persons are prone to when any thing untoward takes place, or the 
case happens to present a bad feature. 
Treatment .—We first set to work to prepare an adhesive 
bandage, several yards in length ; then, by means of tow and short 
wool dipped in the adhesive mixture, and applied to all the hollow 
parts so as to make them as even as possible, and that the bandage 
might have an equal bearing, the bandage was applied and firmly 
fixed ; and, by means of a strong leathern bandage, cut in a shape 
so as to be made easily applicable to cases of the kind—and which 
I always have on hand, and to which four straps and buckles are 
attached—the part was securely fixed, and in a position from which 
it could not easily recede. In this manner she was turned into a 
loose box, where she had plenty of room to bestir herself, get up 
and lay down, all which she did with alacrity. From this time 
not the least untoward symptom took place. The beast fed, drank 
and ruminated, and milked surprisingly, and at the time of re¬ 
cording this paper has been for a month grazing along with the 
other cattle. The bandages were never once removed, or have 
ever shifted their place ; a circumstance I do not remember to have 
seen before—altogether, “ a most lucky case, I suppose!” 
In general, this is the plan I take with fractured tibia; allowing 
a little digression for circumstances, such as a compound fracture, 
high state of fever, &c. And in most cases I have been successful, 
as regards the treatment of cattle. 
In the horse I have never met with a case of fractured tibia, 
otherwise I would pursue the same mode of treatment; that is, 
fixing the limb in an exact position in the manner described, and 
using other means to abate inflammation when an attendant, but 
refraining from slinging, as I have found out, to my discomfort and 
