BLEEDING. 240 



too much from the neck, otherwise blood will insinuate itself between it and 

 the muscles beneath, and cause an unsightly and sometimes troublesome 

 swelling. 



The blood should be received into a vessel the dimensions of which are 

 exactly known, so that the operator may be able to calculate at every period 

 of the bleeding the quantity that is subtracted. Care likewise should be taken 

 that the blood flows in a regular stream into the centre of the vessel, for if it 

 is suffered to trickle down the sides, it will not afterwards undergo those changes 

 by which we partially judge of the extent of inflammation. The pulse, how- 

 ever, and the symptoms of the case collectively, will form a better criterion than 

 any change in the blood. Twenty-four hours after the operation, the edges of 

 the wound will have united, and the pin should be withdrawn. When the 

 bleeding is to be repeated, if more than three or four hours have elapsed, it will 

 be better to make a fresh incision rather than to open the old wound. 



Few directions are necessary for the use of the lancet. They who are com- 

 petent to operate with it, will scarcely require any. If the point is sufficiently 

 sharp the lancet can scarcely be too broad-shouldered ; and an abscess lancet 

 will generally make a freer incision than that in common use. Whatever 

 instrument is adopted, too much care cannot be taken to have it perfectly 

 clean, and very sharp. It should be carefully wiped and dried immediately aftei 

 the operation, otherwise, in a very short time, the edges will begin to be corroded. 



For general bleeding the jugular vein is selected as the largest superficial 

 one, and most easily got at. In every affection of the head, and in cases of 

 fever or extended inflammatory action, it is decidedly the best place for bleeding. 

 In local inflammation, blood may be taken from any of the superficial veins. 

 In supposed affections of the shoulder, or of the fore-leg or foot, the plate vein, 

 which comes from the inside of the arm, and runs upwards directly in front ot 

 it towards the jugular, may be opened. In affections of the hind extremity, 

 blood is sometimes extracted from the saphcena, or thigh-vein, which runs 

 across the inside of the thigh. In foot cases it may be taken from the coronet, 

 or, much more safely, from the toe ; not by cutting out, as the farrier does, 

 a piece of the sole at the toe of the frog, which sometimes causes a wound diffi- 

 cult to heal, and followed by festering, and even by canker ; but cutting down 

 with a fine drawing-knife, called a searcher, at the union between the crust and 

 the sole at the very toe until the blood flows, and, if necessary, encouraging its 

 discharge by dipping the foot in warm water. The mesh- work of both arteries 

 and veins will be here divided, and blood is generally obtained in any quantity 

 that may be needed. The bleeding may be stopped with the greatest ease, 

 by placing a bit of tow in the little groove that has been cut, and tacking the 

 shoe over it*. 



* A great improvement has lately been in- method of arresting bleeding has been applied 



troduccd in the method of arresting arterial by several scientific and benevolent men with 



haemorrhage. The operation is very simple, almost constant success. It has been readily 



and, with common care, successful. The in- and effectually practised in docking, and our 



strument is a pair of artery forceps, with rather patients have escaped much torture, and teta- 



sharper teeth than the common forceps, and nus lost many a victim. The forceps have 



the blades held close by a slide. The vessel been introduced, and with much success, in 



is laid bare, detached from the cellular sub- castration, and thus the principal danger of 



stance around it, and the artery then grasped that operation, as well as the most painful 



by the forceps, the instrument deviating a very part of it, is removed. The colt will be a 



little from the line of the artery. The vessel fair subject for this experiment. On the 



is now divided close to the forceps, and behind sheep and the calf it may be readily per- 



them, and the forceps are twisted four or five formed, and the operator will have the pleas, 



times round. The forceps are then loosened, ing consciousness of rescuing many a poor 



and, generally speaking, not more than a drop animal from the unnecessary infliction of tor- 



or two of blood will have been lost. This turo. 



