118 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
IMMOBILITY IN THE TREATMENT OF OPEN JOINTS. 
By W. F. Derr, V. S., Wooster, Ohio. 
Subject, a valuable sorrel colt, three years old, that had been 
turned out that morning into a field. Frightened by a dog it 
got tangled up in a barbed-wire fence, and in trying to get over 
it fell down, the wire fastening in such a way as to lay open the 
shoulder and elbow joints, making a wound extending from the 
posterior part of the elbow up over the shoulder of about 14 
inches, severing some of the flexors at the elbow, the wire actu¬ 
ally sawing into the bony structures of the elbow. 
At the time of my seeing the animal there was complete loss 
of the use of the leg and forearm, and by moving the arm you 
could see into the humero-radial articulation. Now, here is 
what I would call a very bad case of laceration of skin and mus¬ 
cular tissues, as well as two important joints laid open, the 
wound at the elbow looking very formidable. After making a 
careful examination of the case, I thought it best to destroy the 
animal, considering the injury done, the time and expense in¬ 
volved in the treatment of it. I explained the nature of the case 
to the owner, that it was almost impossible to hold the parts to¬ 
gether, the nature of an open joint, and the locality they were 
in. After giving the matter careful consideration, he concluded 
to at least give the case a trial. I then proceeded as follows : 
I took an ordinary spray pump, such as is used to spray gardens, 
which I cleansed thoroughly (not having anything with me that 
■I thought large enough for the occasion), and sprayed the wound 
with iodine and carbolic solution, after first removing some of 
the lacerated tissues, the spray over the parts merely being a 
mist. This spraying was kept up while there was a brace being 
made as in the case related in the March Review, only it was 
carried over the withers. After having everything ready, put 
the animal in slings, closed the wound with quill sutures, using 
small sticks of rattan ; dusted the wound well with boracic acid 
and iodoform, then bandages, beginning in the middle of the 
metacarpal up to the elbow, with absorbent cotton over the 
wounds. The bandages were carried around the thorax and 
neck, and I assure you that it took quite a few yards of band¬ 
ages to do all this. 
After I had the parts well secured with bandages, I applied 
the brace and fastened it with some bandages to the limb. The 
animal remained very quiet, but I still thought it best to have 
a man stay with it continually, at least the first twenty-four 
hours, which was done. Next day the general appearance of the 
