WOUNDS. 149 



il'.^ease or accident. If the animal is attended by a 

 professional person, an expense is sure to be incurred 

 nearly equal to the worth of the patient, and in so far 

 as they endeavour to obviate this, by killing- the sheep, 

 they are free from blame ; but why not rather contrive 

 to save the cost of veterinary attendance, by making 

 themselves conversant with its diseases, and able to 

 prescribe for their own flocks, in which there can be no 

 difficulty, as the remedies are, in the majority of cases, 

 few, simple, and of easy application. In the surgical 

 and medical management of flocks, much mystery has, 

 as in other matters, all along existed ; but that fantastic 

 age is well nigh its close, and thanks to the spirit of 

 candid inquiry now abroad, we may hope ere long to 

 boast of valuable information in this department. The 

 spread of correct ideas regarding the nature and treat- 

 ment of accidents and diseases, has from first to last 

 been prevented by the diffuseness of those who have 

 written on the subject, and by their so clothing it in a 

 mass of verbiage, as to render scarcely intelligible what 

 would otherwise be easy of acquirement. To obviate 

 the liability to a similar charge, the following observa- 

 tions are given as briefly as is consistent with a due 

 regard to the importance of the subject. 



(105.) Wounds. All the wounds which can be in- 

 flicted may be classed under the heads of incised, 

 punctured, and lacerated. 



An incised wound is one made by a cutting instru- 

 ment, such as a knife or a piece of glass. 



Punctured wounds are those produced by sharp 

 pointed bodies, such as pins or thorns. 



Lacerated wounds are those occasioned by blunt 



