SUEGICAL OPEEATIONS. 



295 



from that organ a linen cloth should be placed from the outer wound 

 into the rumen in order to prevent any of the ingesta from getting 

 into the abdominal cavity. Some practitioners, after removing a 

 portion of the contents of the rumen, introduce such medicine as 

 may be indicated before closing the wound. Clean the wound and 

 close the opening in the rumen with uninterrupted (PI. XXVII, 

 fig. 8) carbolized catgut sutures. Next close the external wound, 

 consisting of the integument, muscle, and peritoneum, with stout, 

 interrupted (PI. XXVII, fig. 6) metallic sutures. No feed should 

 be given for several hours after the operation, and then gruels only. 

 (See "Distention of rumen or paunch with feed," p. 26.) 



TREATMENT OF ABSCESSES. 



An abscess may be detected, if situated externally, by heat, pain, 

 redness, and swelling in the early stages, and, if further developed, 

 by the fluctuation which is present. When any of these symptoms 

 are absent, the suppuration should be encouraged by the means of hot 

 fomentations and poultices. Care must be taken that the abscess is 

 not opened too soon, or to some extent it may cause it to scatter, and 

 the escape of pus will be lessened. The time to open an abscess is 

 just before it is ready to break, and should be done with a sharp 

 lance, a crucial incision sometimes being necessary. The cavity 

 should be syringed out with an antiseptic solution. Care should be 

 taken not to allow tlie wound to close too rapidly, to prevent which 

 a tent of lint or oakum should be introduced. 



WOUNDS. 



For the purposes of the present work wounds may be divided into 

 three classes : (1) Incised; (2) punctured; (3) lacerated or contused. 

 In any wound all that the most suitable applications can accomplish 

 is, in the first place, to prevent the access of those poisonous germs 

 which exist in the animal's surroundings, such as the soil and the 

 manure, and, in the second place, when the process of repair is for 

 some reason temporarily inactive or altogether arrested, to incite 

 that curative inflammation that is the invariable method by which 

 the cure is effected. 



Incised wound. — This is one with clean-cut edges, and may be 

 either superficial or deep. In wounds of all descriptions there is 

 necessarily more or less bleeding, and this is especially liable to be 

 the case in incised wounds, particularly when they penetrate to a 

 considerable depth, or when inflicted on a part where blood vessels 

 of any considerable size approach the surface. To arrest the hemor- 

 rhage must therefore be the first consideration. If slight, a generous 

 use of cold water is all that is necessary, but if one or more vessels 



