196 Veterinary Elements. 



interfered with, but if pus forms it should be washed 

 clean once or twice a day with clean warm or cold water, 

 a syringe or piece of cheese cloth (do not use a sponge, 

 the cheese cloth can be burnt after once using), then 

 apply some antiseptic solution or dry antiseptic powder. 

 Control of bleeding (hemorrhage) is the first thing to 

 do in connection with wounds, as the animal's life blood 

 may very soon flow away, if the bleeding is from an ar- 

 tery; bleeding from veins as a rule is seldom dangerous, 

 unless the animal is in an already weakened condition; 

 sometimes bleeding is arrested by the contraction of the 

 muscular coat of the artery; an artery partially cut 

 through will continue to bleed, when if entirely cut across 

 the bleeding will often stop, owing to the fact that the 

 muscular contraction mentioned becomes possible. Sur- 

 gical methods of stopping bleeding are by the use of 

 forceps performing torsion (twisting), in this form the 

 divided end of the artery is seized by the forceps and 

 twisted until it breaks loose from the forceps; the emas- 

 culator and ecraseur are instruments partially working 

 on this principle, they crush the coats of the vessels; 

 tying, or ligating, as it is termed, silk, twine, catgut or 

 other materials are used for this purpose; styptics are oc- 

 casionally used, they cause clotting of the blood and thus 

 stop the flow mechanically, for such purposes tincture of 

 iron, turpentine and other drugs are used; the hot iron 

 (cautery) is also reliable for this purpose, in docking and 

 castrating of lambs, and sometimes in horses, in the larger 

 animals bleeding may occur when the scab left from the 

 burning falls off, usually about seven days after the oper- 

 ation. The use of dirty materials, such as cobwebs, earth, 



