110 ON WOUNDS. 



The simple wound consists of a division of 

 muscular parts, either by laceration or a sharp 

 cutting instrument. The compound wound 

 consists of an affection of more than one part at 

 the same time, viz. muscle, tendon, ligament, 

 and bone. In the simple wound, the first step 

 should be to ascertain the depth of it, and also 

 to discover whether any extraneous substance is 

 lodged within it. 



This is particularly necessary in cases where 

 horses have been staked in leaping over hedges. 

 If there is no extraneous body within it, and the 

 muscular parts alone are injured, or if any pieces 

 of the stake are discovered, and carefully ex- 

 tracted, nothing more will be required than to 

 bring the divided surfaces of the wound as close 

 together as possible, and to defend it from the 

 air : nature will perform the rest very speedily. 

 If, however, the patient is very fat and plethoric, 

 and has not lost much blood from the wound, 

 bleeding will be necessary. 



This 



