OF FARRIERY. 



105 



body left in its situation, where it rarely cre- 

 ates any trouble. 



Sometimes, the ball may be both easily 

 found and extracted ; at other times, it 

 lodges on the opposite side of the leg, just 

 under the skin. If the intearuments under 

 which the ball is lodged, should be so con- 

 tused that they will probably slough, they are 

 to be considered as already dead, and an 

 opening is to be made in them for the extrac- 

 tion of the ball. But when the ball lies so 

 remotely from the skin, that it can only just 

 be felt, and the skin itself is quite uninjured, 

 no counter opening ought to be made. The 

 wound heals better when the ball is left in, 

 and far less inflammation takes place in the 

 vicinily of this extraneous body, than about 

 the oi ifice of the wound. A counter opening 

 always renders the inflammation at the bot- 

 tom of the wound as great as at its orifice. It 

 is be'.ter to let the wound heal up, and extract 

 the ball afterwards. 



7^s a certain portion of the parts surround- 

 ing the orifice made by the l)all, become 

 bruised, consequently sloughing, must be ex- 

 pe< ted, parting the bruised or dead bodies 

 from the living ; in some cases this takes some 

 ti;ae, and should be hastened on, by applica- 

 ti )ns such as the following : 



Take Oil of turpentine - 3 oz. 

 Olive oil - - 3 do. 



Sh ake well together in a bottle, and rub some 

 on for a distance of six inches all round the 

 wound. This will stimulate it to put on the 

 .'•iippurative process. Apply a tent in the 

 v/ound, smeared over with the common diges- 

 tive ointment : when the suppurative process 

 appears too great, desist from rubbing on the 

 liniment, and apply a lotion, as follows : 



Take Alum - - 1 oz. 



Sulphate of zinc - 2 drams. 

 Water - - I pint. 



Dissolve the alum and zinc in the 

 water. 



And apply two or three times in the day. 

 The Horse should be supported well ; for, in 

 general these cases come at a time when pro- 

 vender is short, as in time of warfare, &c. I 

 should not recommend bleeding in gun-shot 

 wounds, unless the symptomatic fever should 

 run high, and even then do it with caution ; 

 for it frequently happens, when the sloughing 

 takes place, the wound bleeds rather more 

 than we could wish. In such cases you must 

 apply your astringent lotion. As before stated, 

 you must keep your Horse well, or you will 

 be in a great measure disappointed. Give the 

 following every morning : 



Take Sulphate of iron 



Ginger 



10 drams. 

 - 12 do. 

 Gentian - - 12 do. 

 Linseed meal - 6 do. 

 Form into a mass, with soft soap, 



And give as above directed. 



ON SUTURES. 



In the treatment of wounds, sutures have 

 been frequently mentioned : it may not be 

 improper to name those principally in use, and 

 the method of applying them. A suture in 

 surgery means a mode of uniting the edges of 

 a wound, by keeping them in contact with 

 stitches. 



Tlie Interrupted Suture. The wound being 



cleansed of all clots of blood, and its lips 



brought evenly into contact, take a curved 



needle, armed with a ligature of thread 



2 D 



