SURGERY IN WOUND TREATMENT 141 



injuries, as, for example, in the case of the removal or 

 extirpation of diseased or altered parts whose morbid 

 action injuriously affects the general health or pre- 

 vents recovery from a pre-existing disease. This class of 

 operations includes the opening of abscesses, the extirpa- 

 tion of gangrenous parts, or of necrosed or carious bone; 

 or again, for the modification of the nature, of a trau- 

 matic lesion in order to stimulate cicatrization, as in the 

 opening of a fistulous tract, or the resection of an ul- 

 cerated surface, or when the tissues are to be relieved 

 from the presence of a foreign body or the abnormal prod- 

 uct of a natural function, as in case of esophagotomy, 

 or of calculus of the bladder, or of the salivary ducts. 

 Operations have also their prophylactic uses, especially in 

 the various forms of inoculation and vaccination as 

 anticipatory and preventive of infectious diseases. They 

 find their further obvious indications, again, in remedy- 

 ing phj^sical lesions when applied to fractures, disloca- 

 tions, deformities, and the endless list of accidental in- 

 juries, wounds, and hurts of every kind and degrees. 

 And finally, they have their justifiable use in mutilating 

 the larger domestic animals designed for purposes of 

 labor as beasts of burden or draft in improving their 

 adaptability by castration or spaying, or, as it is com- 

 monly termed, "altering." 



Thus the general purpose of an operation is to palliate, 

 cure, or assist in the recovery of surgical diseases; to 

 prevent disease, and to so modify the condition of the 

 domesticated animals as to enhance their usefulness and 

 value to their human owners. 



To accomplish these ends we do not depend upon 

 surgery alone, but also employ such agents as setons, 

 sutures and bandages, drainage tubes, and antiseptics. 

 To the mechanical appliances we need not devote any 

 time, as all veterinarians are familiar with their use, but 



