■WOUNDS.] 



l\rODERN VETERINARY PRACTICE. 



[wounds. 



depth, ami state of the wound, or habit of the 

 Bubject— tliat to discuss the whole of them 

 with all possible or probable circumstances 

 III which they appear, would be to write a 

 volume on them alone. Even that space 

 would, perhaps, not wholly be exhausled w hen 

 we consider the simple and complex characters 

 which they frequently assume, and the diilicul- 

 ties which, in uumeroua instances, are involved 

 in their treatment. To enlarge, therefore, 

 upon every probable means by which a wound 

 may be received, is unnecessary ; accordingly, 

 we will exhibit their most prominent features, 

 with the best means of their cure. 



"Wounds in general are subject to a great 

 deal of variety, both in their nature and ex- 

 ternal appearance. The diflerences depend, in 

 a very great measure, on the nature of the 

 injured parts, the manner in which the wound 

 has happened, and its extent. 



Flesh wounds are, in appearance, nature, 

 and degrees of danger, quite different from 

 those of the tendons. There is also an essen- 

 tial difference between such as are made with 

 a sharp-cutting instrument, and others, in 

 which the fibres, besides being divided, have 

 suffered considerable contusion and laceration. 

 A wound made with a narrow-pointed instru- 

 ment, is also of a very different nature from 

 one that has an ample orifice. 



The degrees of dimger attending every 

 wound, depend very much on some of the 

 following circumstances : — 



The extent of the injury ; the more or less 

 violence which the fibres of the part have 

 suffered, besides their division ; the nature of 

 the blood-vessels, or nerves, which happen to 

 be cut; the nature of the wounded part, in 

 respect to its general power of healing favour- 

 ably or not; w^hether the operations of the 

 system at large, and life itself, can be well 

 supported or not, while the functions of the 

 wounded part are disturbed, interrupted, or 

 suspended by the accident; the age of the 

 patient, the goodness or badness of his con- 

 stitution, and the opportunities which there 

 may be of receiving proper aid and assistance 

 of every kind. 



As a general observation, we may state,, that 

 a wound that is hiade with a sharp-cutting 

 instrument, and which takes the chai'acter of 

 a mere incision, is attended with less hazard 



than any other kind of wound whatever. The 

 fibres have only simply been divided. They 

 havo BU./ered no contusion, nor laceration; 

 and are, consequently, Il-hs likely to infiamo, 

 suppurate, or slough, and likely to admit 

 of being united again in a very expeditious 

 manner. 



Lacerated woumis, are those in which the 

 fibres, instead of being divided by a cutting 

 instrument, have been torn asunder by some 

 violence, capable of overcoming their force of 

 adiiesion. The edges of such wounds, instead 

 of being straight and regular, are jagged and 

 unequal. 



Con/used ivounds is a terra applied to such aa 

 are occasioned by some blunt instrument, or 

 surface, which has violently struck a part of 

 the body. 



Lacerated and contused wounds differ from 

 simple incised wounds, in appearing, at first 

 view, much less alarming than the latter, while 

 in reality they are much more dangerous. In 

 simple cut wounds, the retraction of the parts, 

 and the bleeding, are generally much more 

 considerable than in a lacerated wound of the 

 same size. Notwithstanding these circum- 

 stances, however, they commonly admit of 

 being healed with far greater ease. Indeed, 

 lacerated and contused wounds are scarcely 

 ever attended with any serious effusion of 

 blood, even though some large blood-vessels 

 may be injured. In judging of the severity of 

 these, this is apt to lead some persons, even 

 practitioners, astray ; for, in proportion as there 

 is little bleeding, it may with safety be con- 

 cluded that serious violence has been done to 

 the fibres and blood-vessels. 



A punctured wound is one that is made with 

 a narrow- pointed instrument, and has its ex- 

 ternal orifice small and contracted, instead of 

 being of a size proportionate to its depth. A 

 wound produced by the thrust of a sword or 

 bayonet is an example of a punctured wound. 



Wounds of this description are in general 

 infinitely more dangerous than incised ones, 

 notwithstanding the latter have the appear- 

 ance of being by far the most extensive. Tho 

 degree of danger, in cases of punctured wounds, 

 always depends on the additional injury, and 

 rough violence, which the fibres have suffered, 

 besides being divided. 



Some of tho disagreeable consequences of 



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