208 FLEAiM AND LANCET: LIGATURE. 



that passes uniler the vein ; yet are there insurmountable obstacles to the go« 

 neral use of tlie lancet, that can never be overcome. 



Of those, I need mention but one objection, viz the time occupied in mak- 

 ing the opening — seldom less than four or five seconds, which causes the ani- 

 mal to move its head, and thus to defeat the intention of making a sufficient 

 orifice, whereby the adipose muscle of fleshy animals is allowed to interpose, 

 and the blood trickles down the neck, and part of it gets underneath the skin. 

 By the way, this happens when the operator does not bleed sufficiently high 

 up the neck, the skin and muscle being much thicker lower down. Upon 

 large animals, likewise, the lancet is wholly incompetent to its purpose, owing 

 to the very thick teguments it has to pass through, leaving entirely out of con- 

 sideration the substance of the vein itself To remedy those objections, the 

 spring fleam is more advisedly employed by less practised hands, and is found 

 to combine the advantages assumed for the lancet, whilst it secures the requi- 

 site orifice punctured by the fleam. 



Bleeding is now performed without previously applying a ligature, as it be- 

 came apparent that the blood which was thus detained in both veins, distend- 

 ed also the capillary vessels in the head, which pressed upon the brain. 

 Hence it frequently happened that vertigo came over the animal, filling it 

 with the apprehension of danger. Sometimes it fell down through compres- 

 sion of the brain, and plunged ; whereupon the disconcerted oj^erator was 

 known to give it up for a bad job, at the moment it became more than ever ne- 

 cessary, charging the fault to account of the horse's restiveness, with an ex- 

 pressed intemion of resuming the attempt at some more fovourable o[)portu- 

 nity. But this was a promise he was seldom able to redeem cleverly; the 

 alarm excited by striking the fleam again and again scarcety ever subsiding, 

 for the tension of the vein would but increase with the continuance of the 

 ligature, and caused it to slip aside more certainly. Apoplexy and death has 

 ensued from the same cause, namely, the application of a ligature, and the 

 consequent bursting of the fine blood-vessels of the brain, 



A large rein is more desirable to take blood from, as an evacuation that is 

 to relieve the whole system, than a small one, and the jugular or neck vein, 

 within a hand of the jowl, is ever preferable; because the small do not con- 

 veniently admit of making so large an orifice, for the quick escape of the blood, 

 upon which so much l>enefit dejjcnds ; nor for the same reason allow of draw- 

 ing a sufficient quantity at one time, to effect any good upon the spasmodic 

 tendency or irritability of the vessels. 



Local bleeding, in the plate vein for example, for a bruise in that region, 

 does not enter exactly into my present view of the subject of blood-letting ; 

 though as much service to the part aflected may l)e derived from drawing off 

 from the circulation a^ the neck vein, as sj)raying a vein immediatt-ly at the 

 seatof the evil. Bleeding in the foot is the only exception 1 should make: 

 unless the practice of incising the bars of the mouth when the animal will not 

 take his v^orn, be another, or at least not of importance sufficient to be men- 

 tioned at all, even as an exception. 



The jugidar vein being sought for where it is largest and nearest the sur- 

 face, this will be found upon pressing it with the finger, a band's breadth from 

 ♦tie setting on of the heail, a very little below the place where a branch cornea 

 from the lower jaw, and joins another from the upper part. The Frenchman 

 instructs his marechal thus pithily on this topic, at on several others — ''Do 

 not bleed your horse in the head, but as near to it as [lossiblc." Its situation 

 behig thus found take the fleam between the fore-finger and thiunl) of the 

 •eft hand, and pressing gently upon the vein below with the other fingers, the 

 tffiinwill rise; then strike, with stick or spring, as the case may be, and con- 

 nnue the pressure until the proper quantity of blood is drawn off. If this 



