46 SPECIAL VETERINARY THERAPY 



the most disagreeable, bloody piece of work in veteri- 

 nary practice. It is almost impossible to hold the 

 animal's head still, the awkward position in which the 

 work has to be performed and the constant slinging 

 of blood by the movements of the head and tongue 

 make it far from pleasant. 



Much time can be saved, (as well as wear and tear 

 on the veterinarian's temper) and a better operation 

 performed by casting the horse in the beginning. 



No attention is given the stitch for at least twenty- 

 four hours thereafter. On the second day it and the 

 parts around it are sprayed or swabbed with tincture 

 of iodine and on the third day it may be removed. No 

 harm results even if nothing further is done and the 

 stitch allowed to slough out. 



In some of these cases the animal is almost exsan- 

 guinated by the time the veterinarian arrives and gets 

 the hemorrhage under control. It is always well to 

 administer restoratives and put the animal on a course 

 of iron and other tonics for several weeks. 



