DISEASES OF HORSES 173 



LACERATED AND CONTUSED WOUNDS. 



Lacerated and contused wounds may be described together, al- 

 though there is, of course, this difference, 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 such wounds may not appear at 

 first sight to be as serious as incised wounds, they are commonly 

 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. 



In wounds that are lacerated the amount of hemorrhage is 

 mostly inconsiderable; even very large blood vessels may be torn 

 apart without inducing a fatal result. The edges of the wound are 

 ragged and uneven. These wounds are produced by barbed wire or 

 some blunt object, as where a horse runs against fences, board piles, 

 the corners of buildings, or where he is struck by the pole or shafts 

 of another team, falling on rough irregular stones, etc. Contused 

 wounds are caused by blunt instruments moving with sufficient 

 velocity to bruise and crush the tissues, as running against objects, 

 kicks, or falling on large, hard masses. 



Treatment. In lacerated wounds great care must at first be 

 exercised in examining or probing to the very bottom of the rent or 

 tear, to see if any foreign body be present. Very often splinters 

 of wood or bits of stone or dirt are thus lodged, and unless removed 

 prevent the wound from healing; or if it should heal the wound soon 

 opens again, discharging a thin, gluey matter that is characteristic of 

 the presence of some object in the part. After a thorough explora- 

 tion these wounds are to be carefully and patiently fomented with 

 warm water, to which has been added carbolic acid in the proportion 

 of 1 part to 100 of water. Rarely, if ever, are stitches to be inserted 

 in lacerated wounds. The surrounding tissues and skin are so weak- 

 ened in vitality and structure by the contusions that stitches will not 

 hold; they only irritate the parts. It is better to endeavor to secure 

 coaptation by means of bandages, plasters, or collodion. One essen- 

 tial in the treatment of lacerated wounds is to secure a free exit for 

 the pus. If the orifice of the wound is too high, or if pus is found to 

 be burrowing in the tissues beneath the opening, we must then make 

 a counter opening as low as possible. This will admit of the wound 

 being thoroughly washed out, at first with warm water, and after- 

 wards injected with some mild astringent and antiseptic wash, as 

 chloride of zinc, 1 dram to a pint of water. A dependent opening 

 must be maintained until the wound ceases to discharge. Repeated 

 hot fomentations over the region of lacerated wounds afford much 

 relief and should be persisted in. 



BRUISES. 



Bruises are nothing but contused wounds where the skin has 

 not been ruptured. There is often considerable solution of continuity 

 of the parts under the skin, subcutaneous hemorrhage, etc., which 

 may result in local death and slough of the bruised parts. If the 

 bruise or contusion is not so severe, many cases are quickly cured by 



