224 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



he of a bright red or florid colour, and is ejected with 

 spurts, spouting out with every beat of the heart. If the 

 haemorrhage be from a vein, the blood will be of a darker 

 red, and flows steadily. Arterial haemorrhage may be 

 arrested by taking hold of the open mouth of the vessel 

 with the forceps, slightly drawing it out, and applying a 

 ligature. If the artery be one of small size, bleeding may 

 usually be stopped by completely dividing the vessel, when, 

 as a rule, its ends retract, and the flow of blood ceases. 

 Torsion may also serve to check the bleeding where the 

 vessel is not of too great size. It is said to be against the 

 principles of surgery to ligate a vein, but in many cases, 

 where the vein is of large size and the haemorrhage con- 

 siderable, there may be no other resource. Pressure and 

 the use of styptics, as plumbi acetas, zincum, the various 

 preparations of iron, hot and cold water, the actual cautery, 

 etc., are all of considerable use in some cases of both venous 

 and arterial hsemorrhages. After haemorrhage ceases, 

 remove all foreign bodies, if any be present, and if the 

 wound be dirty, it should be carefully and thoroughly 

 cleansed witli cold or warm water, according to the season 

 of the year, after which the edges are to be brought together 

 and secured, which is usually done by means of sutures, the 

 interrupted suture being the best. 



Sutures may consist of wire, either of tin, silver, or some 

 soft metal coated with silver. These are known as metallic 

 sutures, besides which there are sutures of silk, catgut, etc., 

 which may or may not be carbolized. For any ordinary 

 wound, silk thread will do as well as any of the other 

 materials mentioned. The suture-needle should be of a 

 medium size. As a rule, those commonly used are too 

 large. Sutures are further described as twisted, quilled, 

 glovers', interrupted, uninterrupted, etc. 



The Twisted Suture is the form of suture usually em- 



