352 THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT OF FARCY. 



flamed, tumefied, ulcerated, scirrhous, or other condition of the 

 limb or diseased part, according to the requisites of the case. 



So long as the tumefied parts continue hot to the feel and evince 

 tenderness on pressure, and that the patient — supposing a limb to 

 be the seat of disease — halts much upon it, such evidences shew- 

 ing the presence of inflammation, it is unquestionably our duty to 

 continue an antiphlogistic treatment. We will say, the patient has 

 been well purged — has been, perhaps, blooded, and is still on low 

 diet, and taking daily as much walking exercise as his farcinous 

 limb will bear. In their inflamed condition the best application to 

 the cords of farcy buds is a refrigerant or evaporating lotion ; with 

 this they ought to be sponged often enough to keep the surface 

 (the hair) icet, the object being to repel or disperse the swellings. 

 On this account this is to be preferred to fomentations and poultices: 

 indeed, as for the latter, upon the limbs we have no means of 

 securing their application. 



As soon as all heat and tenderness have subsided in the buds — 

 supposing that, instead of softening and suppurating, they evince 

 a disposition to diminish and grow harder — we must alter our treat- 

 ment of them. We must use lotions of a discutient character, or, 

 in fact, any applications, liniments or ointments, having the effect 

 of causing absorption of the swellings. Of this description are, 

 mercurial ointment and camphor, iodine ointment, blistering lini- 

 ment or ointment, &c. Indeed, when there appear signs of hard- 

 ening and approaching insensibility in the buds, a blister is by far 

 the best application ; and, for my own part, I am very fond, in 

 cases such as these, of using the acetum cantharidis : dipping a 

 painter's brush in the blistering essence, and applying it after the 

 manner a painter does his paint, upon the tumefactions ; tying the 

 horse up afterwards, or putting a cradle on him ; and after an in- 

 terval of twenty-four hours, sponging the blistered parts with warm 

 water; an operation that should be repeated daily so long as any 

 moisture or issue appears upon the surface. " Sweating blisters," 

 like this, need not interfere with the patient's regular exercise ; 

 and as soon as one has " worked off " another may bo applied ; 

 the repetition being regulated as well by the condition of the skin 

 as by the demanrls of the case. 



