There are a couple of papers on the subject of fractures, therapeutic intervention and human maltreatment of animals in the recently published ICAZ Proceedings:

Teegan, W-R. 2005. Rib and vertebral fractures in medieval dogs from Haithabu, Starigard and Schleswig, pp 34-38. In Davies, J., Fabis, M., Mainland, I., Richards, M. and Thomas, R. (eds.). Diet and Health in Past Animal Populations: Current Research and Future Directions. Oxford: Oxbow Books.

Udrescu, M, and Van Neer, W. 2005. Looking for human therapeutic intervention in the healing of fractures of domestic animals, pp 24-33. In Davies, J., Fabis, M., Mainland, I., Richards, M. and Thomas, R. (eds.). Diet and Health in Past Animal Populations: Current Research and Future Directions. Oxford: Oxbow Books.

Also, Brothwell (1993: 37), in his overview of avian osteopathology, quotes the case of Mexican macaws from Arizona whose stress arthropathies and healed trauma are hypothesised to relate to their transport during trade and exchange.

Brothwell, D. 1993. Avian osteopathology and its evaluation. Archaeofauna 2: 33-43.

Stephanie Vann

>From: Carina Phillips <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Carina Phillips <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [ZOOARCH] Veterinary care
>Date: Sun, 29 May 2005 19:56:10 +0100
>
>Dear All,
>
>I have recently come across a dog skull and dog tibia (from separate animals) exhibiting healed fractures, that were probably originally quite severe injuries. Both date to the Anglo-Saxon period. Although the healed state of both these fractures suggests the animals were allowed to recover and probably fed (and cared for?); the tibia healed in a position pointing away from the body which suggests that there was no intervention in the healing of the wound itself. I have found this quite interesting and was wondering if anyone knew of any examples of veterinary care in the past- not necessarily of Anglo-Saxon date?
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Carina Phillips
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