142 WOUND TREATMENT 



the use of antiseptics and biological products differs 

 greatly in the practice of veterinarians. 



The use of medical agencies in the treatment of wounds 

 depends upon the character of the wound and the nature 

 of the bacteria that may have or that have gained access 

 to the wound. A solution of continuity may be of almost 

 any shape or form imaginable and from a clean incision 

 to a ragged, dirty, lacerated wound, located in any 

 region, tissue, or organ of any part of the organism. 



These variations make it imperative on the part of the 

 operator or veterinarian to exercise wide judgment in 

 connection with his theoretical training, since various 

 complications (such as exposed tendons, open joints, a 

 puncture into the abdomen or thoracic cavity) require 

 treatment peculiar to the extent and character of the 

 lesion. The wound, being made, the operator recalls the 

 ways by which the pathogenic bacteria may enter into it, 

 — by the air, by the hands and clothing of the operator, — 

 or by means of foreign bodies (stone, sand, nails, wood 

 splinters, pieces of earthenware) which enter the wound 

 simultaneously with the wounding. Then the resting 

 place of the patient, either during the operation or after- 

 wards, may be such as to infect the wound, or infection 

 may come by means of the instruments and bandaging 

 material, or from the region surrounding the wound 

 (skin, hair, nails, hoof). 



If an operator makes a fresh wound, he first considers 

 by what mode and by what means he can prevent the 

 infection of the wound, and if the wound has been pre- 

 viously made, he considers how he is to remove an infec- 

 tion already existing in it. 



Therefore we have two different subjects to consider, 

 according to whether the wound is already infected or 

 not. If our aim is to protect a wound against infection 

 we speak of aseptic treatment of wounds, while disin- 



