TRAUMATIC INFLAMMATION OF JOINTS. 225 



more important. It includes the apposition of the lips of the 

 wound by pinning, or by suture, which must be either metallic 

 or catgut. If there are any foreign bodies, such as dirt, gravel, 

 or portions of disintegrated tissue in the wound, they must be 

 carefully removed before its lips are brought together. To 

 support the pin or suture, and to prevent the admission of air 

 and germs into the wound, the styptic colloid, shellac, or 

 collodion, must be applied, by being painted on in successive 

 layers with a camel's-hair pencil. The next thing to be done 

 is to place the animal in slings as soon as possible. I consider 

 this essential to the successful treatment of open joint, as it 

 places the patient in the most favourable position for repose, 

 and by preventing him from making even the attempt to lie 

 down, does away with the danger of reopening the wound. 

 All other local applications, by interfering with the healing 

 process in the wound, are at this stage calculated to do 

 harm. 



Wounds upon or near articulations should never be meddled 

 with, by any probing, for the purpose of discovering if there 

 be fracture of the bones. If fracture exist, the lameness wiU be 

 excessive from the first. A meddlesome interference with the 

 probe has often caused open joint, when the original injury had 

 not penetrated the synovial membrane. 



The constitutional treatment must be that calculated to lessen 

 pain and irritation ; a small purgative, combined with opium, to 

 be followed at intervals of four to six hours by doses of opium 

 or of aconite ; and enemas of warm water, two or three times 

 a day, will be beneficial, unloading the rectum, and enabling the 

 animal to pass faeces without straining. 



If the wound heal by these measures, and the inflammation 

 of the joint continue, as in all probability it will, cold must be 

 applied ; and the best method of doing this is by irrigation — 

 that is, by allowing a continual stream of cold water to trickle 

 over the surface of the joint. This is easily done by attaching 

 a gutta-percha pipe to a tap, fastening the pipe to a convenient 

 part of the slings, and carrying its free extremity on to the 

 lame limb, and fixing it above the inflamed joint by means of 

 a bandage. If no tap is convenient, a tub can be fixed in the 

 loft above the horse, or in any part of the stable above the 

 level of the inflamed joint, and the pipe inserted into an aperture 



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