488 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



or without an antiseptic fluid. It should continue day and niglit, 

 and never be interrupted for more than eight hours, for germs will 

 then have gained headway and will be difficult to remove. Four or 

 five days of irrigation will be sufficient, for granulations will then 

 have formed and pus will remain on the outside if it forms. For 

 permanent irrigation the stream should be very small, or drop by 

 drop, but should play over the entire surface of the wound. It is 

 always better to heal an infected wound under a scab, or treat it as 

 an open wound, than it is to suture it, thus favoring the growth of 

 the inclosed germs and retarding ultimate healing. In the latter 

 case pus may develop in the wound, form pockets by sinl^ing into 

 the tissues, and cause various complications. The pockets should be 

 well drained, either through incisions at the bottom or by drainage 

 tubes or setons. They should then be frequent!}^ syringed out or 

 continuously irrigated. In case proud flesh appears it should be 

 kept down either by pressure or by caustics, as powdered bliiestone, 

 silver nitrate, chlorid of antimony, or by astringents, such as burnt 

 alum. If they prove resistant to this treatment they may be removed 

 by scissors, the knife, or by searing w^ith the hot iron. The following 

 rules for the treatment of wounds should be followed: (1) See that 

 the woimd is clean, removing all foreign bodies. (2) For this pur- 

 pose use a clean finger rather than a probe. (3) All hemorrhage 

 should be arrested before closing the wound. (4) Antiseptics should 

 only be used if you suspect the wound to be infected. (5) When 

 pus is present treat without closing the wound. (6) This may be 

 accomplished by drainage tubes, absorbent dressings, setons, or con- 

 tinuous irrigations. (7) Protect the Avound against infection w^hile 

 healing. 



LACERATED AND CONTUSED WOUNDS. 



Lacerated and contused wounds may be described together al- 

 though there is, of course, this diflerence, that in contused wounds 

 there is no break or laceration of the skin. Lacerated wounds, how- 

 ever, are, as a rule, also contused — the surrounding tissues are bruised 

 to a greater or lesser extent. While at first sight such wounds may 

 not appear to be as sei'ious as incised wounds, they are commonl}^ 

 very much more so. Lacerations and contusions, when extensive, are 

 always to be regarded as dangerous. Many horses die from septic 

 infection or mortification as a result of these injuries. We find in 

 severe contusions an infiltration of blood into the surromiding tissues ; 

 disorganization and mortification follow, and involve often the deeper 

 seated structures. Abscesses, single or multii^le, may also result and 

 call for special treatment. 



In wounds that are lacerated the amount of hemorrhage is mostly 

 inconsiderable; even very large blood vessels may be torn apart with- 



