A DICTIONARY. 



273 



some substance made red hot, and tlien 

 drawing them mechanically along, or twist- 

 ing them about upon the sldn. The figures 

 are various, so is the depth of the incision. 

 Both must be decided by the taste, judg- 

 ment, or heartlessness of the operator. 



^'■Blistering. — This is an operation of very 

 great utility, and is, perhaps, compared with 

 its benefits and importance, the safest that 

 is performed. When a vesicatory becomes 

 absorbed through the pores of the skin, it 

 inflames the sensible cutis underneath ; the 

 consequence of which is, an effusion of serum 

 through the part, which, in the human sub- 

 ject, elevates the cuticle into a bladder equal 

 to the sm-face inflamed, but in the horse, from 

 the greater tenacity of the cuticular connec- 

 tions, it becomes separated in the form of 

 small distinct-vesicles only. If the irritating 

 cause be quickly removed, the serum may be 

 re-absorbed, and the surface restored by a 

 slight effort of adhesive inflammation. If 

 the irritant act in a still minor degree, it sim- 

 ply irritates the vessels of the cutis to an in- 

 filtration of fluid through the sensible pores, 

 but produces no desquamation of cuticle : 

 such has been called, a sweating blister. 

 But when, by continued irritation, the cutis 

 is exposed, suppuration succeeds, and the 

 part is fully blistered. The salutary action 

 of blisters is exerted in several ways ; in pro- 

 moting absorption ; in combating deep- 

 seated inflammations, and in aiding others. 

 As a stimulus to the absorbents, they act 

 beneficiaUy in the removal of injmuous 

 deposits, as the coagula remaining after 

 inflammatory lessons. But it is to be re- 

 marked, that when any existing deposit is of 

 long continuance, or is osseous, it requires 

 that the action of the vesicatory be kept up. 

 Mercurial blisters have been thought to have 

 a superior influence in accelerating absorp- 

 tion. Mercurials, rubbed in some weeks or 

 days previously to blistering, are certainly 

 great assistants, and should always be em- 

 ployed in the treatment of obstinate osseous 

 or ligamentry enlargements. Blisters are 

 very important aids, in inflammatory affec- 

 tions, as counter-h-ritants, derived from a law 

 in the animal economy, that two inflamma- 



tions seldom exist in the vicinity of each 

 other ; therefore, when such an affection has 

 taken place in any part, and we wish to re- 

 move it, we attempt to raise an artificial in- 

 flammation in the neighborhood by means 

 of blisters ; which, if persevered in, destroy, 

 or at least lessen, the original one. Occa- 

 sionaUy also we blister the immediate in- 

 flamed part, with an intention to hasten the 

 suppurative process by increasing the ac- 

 tivity of the vessels; as in deep-seated ahr 

 scesses and also in those which attack glan- 

 dular parts. We therefore employ blisters, 

 to hasten the maturation of the tumors in 

 strangles. When the flagging powers 

 vaciUate between resolution and suppura- 

 tion, as they often do in the phlegmonous 

 inflammations of glandular or of deep- 

 seated parts, blisters may either hasten the 

 resolution, or they may add their influence 

 to the attempted suppuration, and thus 

 bring it to maturity. But we carefuUy 

 avoid, in other cases, applying a vesicant to 

 a part immediately in a state of active in- 

 flammation : particularly we should avoid 

 what is too often done, that of blistering 

 over the tendons, ligaments, and articula- 

 tory surfaces of a tumid limb, laboring 

 under a congested state of the parts from 

 excess of vascular action. Here we should 

 do great injury were we to blister, by caus- 

 ing a greater deposit of lymph, and by has- 

 tening its organization into an injurious 

 bond of union between the inflamed parts. 

 The vesicatory or blister, for general use in 

 veterinary medicine, as a simple stimulant, 

 should be principally composed of Spanish 

 flies. Cheaper substitutes are used, but 

 they irritate violently : in extensive inflam- 

 matory affections, they are on this account 

 perfectly inadmissible ; and wherever a case 

 requires anything more it will be noted. 

 The mode of blistering with the Spanish 

 fly is sufficiently known. The hair should 

 be cut or shorn as close as possible from 

 around the part ; the blistering matter 

 should then be well rubbed in for ten or 

 fifteen minutes. If the pasterns and fet- 

 locks are the parts to be blistered, previous 

 to rubbing in the ointment, smear some lard, 



