412 HEALTH AND DISEASE 



the stitches withdrawn. Movement of the part, however, must be 

 restricted for another week or ten days to allow of the union being 

 perfected. 



It must, however, be understood that tlie prospect of wounds in a 

 liorse healing by the first intention, even when made by the knife of 

 the surgeon, is seriously interfered with by the dirty surroundings of 

 the patient, the casual and imperfect after-attention he receives, and 

 the difficulty in restricting movement of the part. These are so many 

 ■obstacles to success which can only be overcome in exceptional cases. 

 It results, therefore, that, however desirable it may be to bring about 

 this mode of healing, the veterinary surgeon has in the main to rely 

 on the more prolonged and tedious process of granulation. 



Again, it is seldom that casualties of this kind are brought under 

 his notice until many hours, or even days, have passed since their occur- 

 rence; and further, the implements by which wounds in horses are inflicted 

 are mostly of the dirtiest possible description, being frequently covered 

 with dust, decomposing filth, or earth, in which the bacillus of tetanus 

 too often lurks. Moreover, the hair and skin through which they pass 

 are more or less soiled and laden with bacteria. The advantages therefore 

 offered even by an incised wound are largely discounted at the outset 

 by these unfavourable conditions. 



If, after being set up and dressed in the manner prescribed, the wound 

 should show signs of soreness and pus formation, the dressing must be 

 removed, and escape of the pus provided for by the insertion of a 

 drainage-tube into the most depending part. The wound should then he 

 redressed daily as before, until pus formation ceases. Should this not be 

 accomplished, all the stitches must be removed, the wound laid open, and 

 washed well with carbolic solution (1 in 20). Then the surface must be 

 sponged over with undiluted liquefied carbolic acid, and the wound stuffed 

 with the double cyanide gauze sprinkled with iodoform. This dressing 

 should be changed daily, and the skin around the wound must be cleansed 

 and disinfected at the same time witli the 5-per-cent carbolic lotion. 



In large wounds thus dealt with, the lips must be supported, either 

 by bandages or 1)y sutures, in the position most favourable to liealing. 



Lacerated Wounds. — This variety of wound is usually infiicted l)y 

 blunt instruments, such as hooks, nails, pieces of iron or wood, which 

 are forcibly driven into the flesh. Lacerated wounds in the horse are 

 commonly associated with more or less severe bruising or contusion of 

 the divided parts, which seriously complicates and retards the healing 

 process. Moreover, the surfaces and edges of the wound are so irregular 

 that they cannot be brought together with that perfect coaj)tation so 



