CHAPTER XXXVI 



OPERATIONS 



BI.EEDING — FIRING — SETONS AND ROWELS — BLISTERING — CASTRATION — DOCKING — UN- 

 NERVING — REDUCTION OF HERNIA— THE ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES— CLYSTERS— 

 BACK-RAKING. 



BLEEDING 



Bleeding is either performed in the jugular vein, when the whole system 

 is to be affected ; or when a part of the body only is inflamed, it may be 

 desirable to abstract blood locally, as for instance from the toe or from the 

 plate vein, in inflammation of the foot, and in ophthalmia from the vein 

 which lies on the face just below the eye. 



The instruments used are either the lancet or the fleam, the former 

 being the safer of the two, but requiring some practice to manage it pro- 

 perly. In bleeding from the jugular vein a string is sometimes tied round 

 the neck below the part to be opened, which is four or five inches below 

 the fork in the vein (shown at page 465) in the upper part of the neck. 

 The skilled opei'ator, however, makes pressure with his left hand answer 

 the purpose of causing the vein to rise, and during this state either uses 

 the lancet with his right or the fleam with the aid afforded by the blow of 

 a short stick, called a "blood stick." When the blood begins to flow, the 

 edge of the bucket which catches it is pressed against the same part, and 

 as long as this is continued a full stream will run until faintness occurs. 

 After sufficient blood has been taken, the two lips of the wound are raised 

 between the fingers, and a small common pin passed through both, when 

 the point is cut off and some tow is twisted round, by wiiich the edges are 

 kept together and the pin is retained in position. In a couple of days 

 the pin may be withdrawn without disturbing the tow, and the wound 

 will heal with little or no deformity. Sometimes the blood continues to 

 flow beneath the skin after it is pinned, and a swelling takes place in con- 

 sequence. When this happens, cold water should be freely applied and the 

 head kept up by racking to the manger. 



Inflammation of the vein will sometimes supervene upon bleeding, the 

 symjitoms being a slight swelling appearing in the evening, or the next day, 

 with a little oozing from the wound. These are soon followed by a hard 

 cord-like enlargement of the vein, which feels hot to the touch, and the 

 parts at the angle of the jaw swell considerably. The consequence generally 



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