BLEEDING. 97 



either from a vein or an artery : in the former case, the 

 operation is called venesection : in the latter, arteriotomy. 

 The current possesses such force in arteries, that, were we 

 to open a large one, we should run a risk of not being able 

 to stop it : independent of which, they are in general, out of 

 our reach. The vessel we commonly open to let blood from, 

 is the jugular vein ; which we select as well on account of 

 its accessibility as of its large size. The place we find most 

 convenient to puncture, is about one third down the neck, 

 measuring from the jaw. Not that it signifies from what vessel 

 we take the blood, providing we produce the same impression. 

 The advantages of arteriotomy over venesection are two : — 

 the one is, where we cannot obtain the requisite quantity of 

 blood, or that with the desired rapidity, from a vein; the 

 other we can bleed from an artery supplying the inflamed 

 part. In pulmonary and cerebral congestions we sometimes 

 find it difficult to obtain blood from the jugular vein ; we 

 then have recourse to the temporal artery : though, before 

 we do this, we may make the experiment of compressing the 

 opposite vein, which I have known occasionally to succeed. 



Local Bleeding consists either in drawing the blood di- 

 rectly out of the inflamed part itself, or from some vessel 

 near enough to have the same effect. Surgeons apply 

 leeches and cupping-glasses to their patients : but these are 

 of little service to the veterinarian. Our only effectual 

 modes of locally letting blood consist in scarifications, or 

 in opening vessels connected with the inflamed part. In 

 ophthalmia, we occasionally scarify the external parts of the 

 eye ; and we reap decided benefit, in acute foot-lameness, 

 from bleeding in the toe. In violent sprains of the back 

 sinews it is a good practice to take away blood from the 

 plate-vein. In opening the plate-vein, let me advise the 

 operator to puncture it at the angle it makes towards 

 the lower part of the shoulder, as that part is compara- 

 tively without motion : for, in opening it upon the arm, he 

 runs great risk of afterwards producing a thrombus. Local 

 bleedings may be practised where general depletion is not 

 called for, or where bleeding has been carried to the extent 



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