INFLAMMATION OF THE VEIN. 141 



INFLAMMATION OF THE VEIN. 



It is usual and proper, after bleeding, to bring the edges of the 

 wound carefully together, and to hold them in contact by insert- 

 ing a pin through the skin, with a little tow twisted round it. 

 In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, the wound quickly heals, 

 and gives no trouble ; but in a few instances, from using a blunt 

 instrument, or a dirty or rusty one ; or striking too hard, and 

 bruising the vein ; or, in the act of pinning up, pulling the 

 skin too far from the neck, and suffering some blood to insinu- 

 ate itself into the cellular texture ; or neglecting to tie the 

 horse up for a little while, and thus enabling him to rub the 

 bleeding place against the manger and tear out the pin ; or 

 from the animal being worked immediately afterward ; or the 

 reins of the bridle rubbing against it ; or several blows having 

 been clumsily given, and a large and ragged wound made ; or 

 from some disposition to inflammation about the horse (for the 

 bleeder is not always in fault) the wound does not heal, or, if it 

 closes for a little while, it re-opens. A slight bleeding appears 

 — some tumefaction commences — the edges of the orifice sepa- 

 rate, and become swollen and red — a discharge of sanious, bloody 

 fluid proceeds from the wound, followed, perhaps, in a feAV days, 

 by purulent matter. The neck swells, and is hot and tender 

 both above and below the incision. The lips of the wound be- 

 come everted — the swelling increases, particularly above the 

 wound, where the vein is most hard and cordy — the horse begins 

 to loathe his food, and little abscesses form round the orifice. 

 The cordiness of the vein rapidly increases. Not only the vein 

 itself has become obstructed and its coats thickened, but the cel- 

 lular tissue inflamed and hardened, and is an additional source of 

 irritation and torture. 



The thickening of the vein extends to the bifurcation above : 

 it occupies both branches, and extends downward to the chest — 

 even to the very heart itself, and the patient dies. 



Of the means of cure it is dilflcult to speak confidently. The 

 wound should be carefully examined — the divided edges brought 

 mto exact apposition, and any hair interposed between them re- 

 moved — the pin withdrawn or not, according to circumstances — 

 the part carefully and long fomented, and a dose of physic admin- 

 istered. If two or three days have passed and the discharge still 

 remains, the application of the budding-iron — not too large or too 

 not — may produce engorgement of the neighboring part's, and union 

 of the lips of the wound. Th's should be daily, or every second 

 day, repeated, according to circumstances. A blister applied over 

 the orifice, or as far as the mischief extends, will often be ser- 



