1 26 BANDAGING. 



or such as are not truly cylindrical, spiral bandaging can only be 

 successfully carried out by using very elastic cotton bandages, other- 

 wise the lower edges of the bandage always project. This, however, 

 can be avoided by reversing the bandage at each turn as shown in 

 Fig. 166, the upper and lower edges changing places. The bandage, 

 held in the hollow of the right hand, is drawn tight, rotated, and 

 the folded point fixed with the thumb or index finger of the left hand. 

 The bandage is then rapidly passed round the limb, and again draws 

 tight, the thumb of the free hand keeping the fold flat meanwhile. 

 These precautions, however, are scarcely necessary when using 

 knitted, elastic, or calico bandages, especially where the latter are 

 moist. To maintain pressure on a joint like the fetlock the figure- 

 of-8 shown in Fig. 167 is useful. The bandage is passed once or 

 twice around the pastern, thence obliquely upwards over the anterior 

 surface of the fetlock, behind the joint and then forwards and down- 

 wards in a direction opposite to that of the previous turn. The 

 position of each succeeding figure-of-8 should be slightly varied so 

 that the entire surface of the joint is covered. To secure the degree 

 of tension required to keep the bandage in place without causing 

 undue presure at any point requires some practice. Until this know- 

 ledge is acquired it is better to err on the side of slackness. 



When moist applications are needed it is often best to soak the 

 bandage before use, otherwise it contracts when wetted and may 

 cause greater pressure on the diseased part than is intended. For 

 the same reason moist bandages, which will afterwards be allowed 

 to dry in position, may be drawn rather tighter than if they had 

 been applied dry, the pressure diminishing as the moisture evaporates. 

 It is not possible to fix dressings in all positions with bandages. In 

 many cases considerable ingenuity is required to secure the desired 

 fit, and the following illustrations (redrawn from Bourgelat) are 

 intended to assist operators in this task. In the illustrations (Fig. 

 168 et seq.) indications are given of where a fold or a gusset is needed 

 and where a portion of the cloth is to be reinforced with lining. In 

 many places, however, even these applications do not meet all the 

 requirements of antiseptic wound treatment. Thus after removal 

 of the large growths which occasionally form at the shoulder in 

 consequence of bruising with infection, Bayer preferred the following 

 device : — He first inserted sutures of relaxation, using drainage-tubes 

 of large size. The sutures were passed at a distance of 1^ inches 

 from the margin of the wound and comparatively deeply ; the 

 number inserted naturally depending on the size of the wound. A 

 drainage-tube was then inserted and the wound closed with closely 



