THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 67 



It is frequently necessary to enlarge the wound, in 

 order to extract the ball, and if it has gone quite 

 through, (provided the situation of the part wounded 

 will admit of its being done with safety,) the wound 

 is to be laid open freely through the whole length 

 of it, by which means any extraneous body will be 

 more readily removed, and the cure facilitated. In 

 order to get at the ball, or any other foreign matter, 

 probing is to be used as sparingly as possible ; and 

 this must evidently appear necessary to any one who 

 will only consider the nature of the symptoms atten- 

 dant on penetrating wounds of the chest or belly, either 

 from a bullet or a sharp instrument, the thrusting in 

 a probe to parts under such circumstances being una- 

 voidably a fresh stab on every repetition of such prac- 

 tice. If probing be necessary, the finger should be 

 preferred as the best and truest probe, where it can be 

 used ; and where it can not, a bougie may answer the 

 purpose. If a ball, or any other foreign body, happens 

 to be lodged near the orifice, or can be perceived by 

 the finger to lie under the skin, though at some dis- 

 tance from the mouth of the wound, we should cut 

 down to it, and take it out ; but when it is sunk deep, 

 and lies beyond the reach of the finger, it must appear 

 evident, upon the least reflection, that the thrusting 

 first a long probe in search of the bullet, and then, as 

 has been practised likewise, a larger pair of forceps, 

 either with or without teeth, into a wound of that 

 l\ind, though with a sort of certainty to extract it, must 

 either contuse or irritate and inflame the parts to a 

 greater degree, and, consequently, do as much or more 

 mischief than the ball did at first, by forcing its passage 

 such a length of way. And should the forceps at the 

 same time lay hold of any considerable artery or nerve 

 along with the ball, (which can scarcely fail to hap- 



