70 WOUND TREATMENT 



relations between the patient's condition and the trau- 

 matism is of equal importance. 



The point may be illustrated in fistula of the withers. 

 In a young, vigorous subject with a fistula of recent 

 origin, before or soon after the first abscess has dis- 

 charged its contents the surgeon may proceed fearlessly 

 to the most radical steps, with a full assurance of a 

 rapid recovery. The trauma may be large enough to 

 cause considerable shock, and the blood loss may be great, 

 but in spite of these there is prompt reaction from the 

 shock and a prompt healing is soon progressing. On 

 the other hand, a subject affected with a sapping fistula 

 that has been draining the system for months may be 

 too feeble from anemia and chronic septicemia to with- 

 stand even a minor operation. The one will recover, 

 the other may die. 



Scrawny, ill-wintered colts fall victims of castration, 

 while the vigorous seldom die. I know of no greater 

 hazard than herniotomy or cryptorchidectomy in en- 

 feebled subjects. In the case of accidentally inflicted 

 wounds, precisely as in surgical wounds, there is this 

 same element of vigor working for or against the sur- 

 geon, and unless due attention is given thereto, wound 

 healing may take a bad turn right from the beginning, 

 even if the patient recovers from the shock inflicted. 

 Case after case might be related to illustrate this point. 

 It should, however, be sufficient to say that the vigor of 

 our animal patients has such a marked effect upon the 

 results of our surgery that no surgical operation should 

 ever be thought of without first giving due considera- 

 tion to the influence the general health will have upon 

 the final results. 



The remedy in other than urgent cases is to improve 

 the patient 's condition by every available and practicable 

 means. I have often postponed poll-evil and fistul^e 



