MOUNTED INSTRUCTION 69 



and oil of turpentine are all more or less acti\-e in this respect. To 

 check rapid and dani^erons bleedint^ from lars^c vessels compression 

 may be adopted. When it is from an artery, the fing^ers may be used 

 for pressing- between the wound and the heart, but if from a vein, the 

 pressure should be exerted on the other side of the wound. 



Bruises: Are nothing' but wounds wdiere the skin has not been rup- 

 tured. 



Punctured Wounds: Are produced by the penetration of a sharp or 

 blunt-pointed instrument, such as a thorn, fork, nail, etc.. and the orifice 

 of these wounds is always small in proportion to their depth. In veter- 

 inary practice punctured wounds are very much more common than 

 the others. They involve the feet most frequently, next the legs and 

 often the face and head from nails protruding through the stalls and 

 troug^h. They are not only the most frequent, but they are also the 

 most serious, owing to the difficulty in obtaining thorough disinfection. 

 Another circumstance rendering them serious is the lack of attention 

 that they receive at first. The external wound is so small that but 

 little or no importance is attached to it, yet in a short time swelling, 

 pain, and acute inflammation, often of a serious character, are mani- 

 fested. Considering the most common of puncture wounds, we must 

 give precedence to those of the feet. The animal treads upon nails, 

 pieces of iron or screws, forcing them into the soles of the feet. If the 

 nail or whatever it is that has punctured the foot is attached to some 

 heavier body and is withdrawm as the horse lifts his foot, lameness may 

 last for a few steps only, but unless properly attended to at once the 

 horse will be found in a day or two to be very lame in the injured mem- 

 ber. If the foreign body remains in the foot, he gradually grows worse 

 until the cause is discovered and removed. 



From the construction of the horse's feet and from the elasticity of 

 the horn closing the orifice, punctured wounds of the feet are almost 

 always productive of lameness. Inflammation results, and as there is 

 no relief afforded by swelling and no escape for the product of inflam- 

 mation, this matter must and does burrow^ between the sole or wall 

 and the sensitive parts within it until it generally opens "between hair 

 and hoof." From the fact that the pain is so much more severe, and 

 that tetanus more frequently follows w^ounds in the feet, and from 

 the extensive, or at times complete, separation and "casting" of the 

 hoof, these Avounds must alw^ays be regarded with grave apprehension. 



The practice of picking up each foot, cleaning the sole, and thorough- 

 ly examining the foot each and every time the horse comes into the 

 stable will enable us to reduce to the minimum the serious consequen- 

 ces of punctured w^ounds of the feet. If the wound has resulted from 

 pricking, lameness follows soon after shoeing; if from the nails being 

 driven too close, it usually a|)pears from four to five days or a week 

 afterwards. We should always inquire as to the time of shoeing, ex- 

 amine the shoe carefully, and see whether it has been partially pulled 

 and the horse has stepped back upon some nails or the clip. The horse 

 is seen to raise and lower the limb or hold it from the ground alto- 



