SUPPRESSION OF HEMORRHAGE 63 



But there are many minor injuries in which hemorrhage 

 may be a troablesome feature. Wounds received during 

 hunting furnish a large number of cases in sporting 

 districts. In these the same golden rule applies: always 

 secure and ligature a dleeding vessel whenever possible. 

 Avoid plugging and tight bandaging except as an emer- 

 gency measure. 



As regards hemostatic agents, they have no effect in 

 the case of vessels of any size, and the majority of them 

 irritate the wound. 



Deep punctured wounds, in which it is not possible 

 to secure a bleeding vessel without making an extensive 

 opening, may be plugged with antiseptic gauze. 



Wounds involving the digital arteries in the region of 

 the coronet are often troublesome, as it is by no means 

 easy to secure the bleeding vessel, especially in the case 

 of a nervous, excitable horse. The Mayo-Ochner artery 

 forceps will be found useful for cases of this kind. 



When an artery or vein is exposed in an extensive 

 wound, but not severed, it is advisable to apply a liga- 

 ture, since the walls of the vessel may give way and 

 serious hemorrhage result. Should it become necessary 

 to apply a ligature to the carotid artery it must be 

 remembered that in consequence of the collateral circu- 

 lation both the proximal and the distal ends of the 

 vessel must be secured. 



As regards the employment of the actual cautery as 

 a hemostatic agent, in consequence of tissues it pro- 

 duces it is now being discarded. In Great Britain it is 

 still employed by some practitioners in the operation of 

 castration and also docking. From a humane and scien- 

 tific point of view it is to be hoped that the suppression 

 of hemorrhage by means of the actual cautery will soon 

 be regarded as one of the relics of the barbarous ages. 



