THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 157 



When the flesh is injured alone, search the wound, 

 and ascertain whether any spUnters, thorns, or other 

 extraneous substances remain behind ; if so, remove 

 them with the probe or any other convenient instru- 

 ment, and then, according to the size of the incision, 

 apply slips of sticking-plaster to keep the edges 

 of the wound as close as possible, or sew it together 

 with a needle and thread, and after placing a bandage 

 round the part, foment it with bran and water, this 

 will allay the inflammation, and is infinitely better than 

 the use of caustics, and by no means so painful. If any 

 noxious substance is left in the wound, mortification 

 will often ensue after the foregoing treatment; but 

 when nothing remains behind, and the part becomes 

 unhealthy and begins to form matter, the wound must 

 be treated as an ulcer 



If the blood-vessel is injured use a ligature, which 

 is a better method of securing it than resorting to any 

 styptic application. 



Wounds in the joints and nerves are very difficult 

 to treat. Of the first, mention has been made in a 

 former part of the work. When the nerve is affected, 

 locked-jaw will often ensue. Wounds in the spinal 

 marrow, when that portion situated above the branch 

 of the nerves which lead to the heart and lungs, pro- 

 duce death. When a tendon is injured, foment with 

 bran and water in preference to any spirituous appli- 

 cation. Nothing can be so absurd or dangerous as 

 a practice very much in use among farriers as the 

 introduction of tow, which has been saturated in some 

 powerful oil, into wounds, the irritation is hereby 

 considerably increased rather than diminished ; fur- 

 thermore, the mouth of the wound is kept open, and 

 a blemish will often be perceptible, especially after a 

 liealthy wound has been by such a process converted 



