INFLAMMATION. 1 75 



If inflammation consist of increased flow of blood to and through the 

 part, the ready way to abate the inflammation is to lessen the quantity of 

 blood. If we take away the fuel, the fire will go out. All other means are 

 comparatively unimportant compared with bleeding. Blood may be taken 

 from the jugular, and so the general quantity may be lessened; but if 11 

 can be taken from the neighbourhood of the part, it will be productive of 

 tenfold benefit. One quart of blood taken from the foot in acute founder, 

 by unloading the vessels of the inflamed part, and enabling them to contract, 

 and, in that contraction, to acquire tone and power to resist the future dis- 

 tension, will do more good than five quarts taken from the general circula- 

 tion. An ounce of blood obtained by scarifying the swelled vessels of the 

 inflamed eye, will give as much relief as a copious bleeding from the jugu- 

 lar. It is a principle in the animal frame which should never be lost sight 

 of by the veterinary surgeon, or the horseman, that if by bleeding the pro- 

 cess of inflammation can be once checked, if it can be suspended but for a 

 little while, although it may return, it never returns with the same degree 

 of violence, and in many cases it is got rid of at once. Hence the neces- 

 sity of bleeding early and bleeding largely, in inflammation of the lungs, 

 or of the bowels, or of the brain, or of any important organ. Many horses 

 are lost for want of bleeding, or from insufficient bleeding, but we never 

 knew one materially injured by the most copious abstraction of blood in 

 the early stage of acute inflammation. The horse will bear, and with advan- 

 tage, the loss of an almost incredible quantity of blood. Four quarts 

 taken from him will be comparatively little more than one pound taken from 

 the human being. We can scarcely conceive a considerable inflammation 

 of any part of the horse, either proceeding from sprains, contusions, or any 

 other cause, in which bleeding, local (if possible) or general, or both, will 

 not be of essential service. 



Next in importance to bleeding is purging. Something may be removed 

 from the bowels, the retention of which would increase the general irrita- 

 tion and fever ; the blood will be materially lessened, for the quantity of 

 serous or watery fluid which is separated from it by a brisk purge, the 

 action of which in the horse continues probably for more than twenty-foui 

 hours, is enormous ; and while the blood is thus determined to the bowels, 

 less even of that which remains will flow through the inflamed part. When 

 the circulation is directed to one set of vessels, it is proportionably dimin- 

 ished in other parts. It was first directed to the inflamed parts, and they 

 were overloaded and injured : it is now directed to the bowels, and the 

 inflamed parts are relieved. While the purging continues, there is also 

 some degree of languor and sickness felt, and the force of the circulation ia 

 thereby diminished, and the general excitement lessened. The farmer will, 

 therefore, see the importance of physic in every case of considerable exter- 

 nal inflammation. If the horse is laid by for a iew days from injury of the 

 foot, or sprain, or poll-evil, or wound, or almost any cause of inflammation, 

 a physic ball should be given. 



In cases of internal inflammation, much judgment is required to deter- 

 mine when a purgative may be beneficial or injurious. In inflammation of 

 the lungs or bowels it should never be given. There is so strong a sym- 

 pattiy between the various contents of the cavity of the chest, that no one 

 of them can be inflamed to any great extent, without all the others being 

 disposed to become inflamed ; and, therefore, a dose of physic in inflamed 

 lungs would be frequently as fatal as a dose of poison. The excitement 

 produced on the bowels by the purgative will soon run on to inflammation, 

 which no medical skill can stop. 



The means of abating external inflammation are various and seemingly 



