496 OPERATIONS ON THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. 



striking with the stick, apply the blow with their hands, hut 

 with cattle, the stick is indispensable. The moment the blow 

 has been appHed properly, the stream of blood escapes freely; 

 when the blow has been too Hght, and the skin only divided, with 

 but a scanty or no escape of the blood, it is called a v:/dte . bleed- 

 ing ; and slahhery when the opening is not large enough for the 

 escape of a full stream, or when the openings of the vein and of 

 the skin are not in apposition, which will be the case if the fleam, 

 instead of being held perfectly perpendicular to the skin, has 

 been held obhquely. The opening of the blood vessel with the 

 spring fleam is performed in the same manner, except that the 

 lancet receives its impulse from the spring instead of the stick. 

 The puncture with the lancet or bistoury should be made with a 

 single stroke of the instrument. In large and superficial veins, 

 the spring lancet is as easily and safely managed as the fleam. 



3d. Closing the Blood Vessels and jStojyjnng the Floio. — 

 "When a sufficient quantity of blood has been drawn, and the j)res- 

 sure upon the vein, which has been continued during the flow, is 

 gradually relaxed, the stream ceases, more or less completely. To 

 terminate it entirely, a simple stitch of pin sutm-e is api^lied. It 

 is to be prefeiTcd to all other means, such as pressm-e, bandaging 

 or adhesive plasters. The suture is made by grasj)ing the two 

 edges of the skin with the thumb and index finger of one hand, 

 and sHghtly raising them, then transfixing them with a long pin 

 through their middle, with either the hand or the pin-holder, in- 

 cluding a fair amount of skin, and comjDleting it by a special knot, 

 made with silk or a loop of the long hair of the 

 mane or tail of the animal. In aj^plpng this 

 suture, the skin must not be pulled away from 

 the body too far, nor the knot tied excessively 

 tight. To keep the wound clean and prevent 

 Fig. 442.— Suture after the animal from rubbing off the dressings is aU 

 mg. ^^^ ^^ necessary, for a few hours, after the 



operation. The wound heals by first intention, and the suture and 

 the pin can be safely removed after twenty-fom' hours. 



Phlebotomy in Solipeds.. 



Four of the principal superficial veins are selected for this 

 operation in soHpeds ; the jugular, the cephalic, the subcutaneous 

 thoracic and the internal saphena. 



