138 The Care of Animals 



COUNTER-IRRITANTS 



The term counter- irritant is given to a class of 

 medicines that are applied externally for the purpose of 

 setting up a local and artificial inflammation in order to 

 cure a disease or injury. It is a very old treatment and 

 is very frequently used in veterinary practice. Among 

 the counter-irritants that are commonly employed are 

 liniments, hand-rubbing, blisters, seatons or "rowels," 

 and burning with a hot iron or "firing." 



Counter-irritants are used especially in chronic or 

 long- continued conditions. They should never be ap- 

 plied to a part when it is acutely inflamed. The in- 

 flammation should first be reduced by fomentations 

 of hot or cold water; when the acute inflammation 

 has subsided, if the disease still continues, counter-irri- 

 tants should be used. A mild form of counter- irrita- 

 tion is hand-rubbing, or hand-rubbing in combination 

 with liniments. The virtues of most liniments are 

 increased by thorough and vigorous rubbing. As soon 

 as the part begins to get sore, or tender, withhold the 

 liniment and rubbing for a few daj's and then re -apply. 



Seatons. — A seaton is a foreign body, usually a piece 

 of string or tape, inserted beneath the skin over the 

 diseased part. It is inserted by means of a seaton 

 needle, and the two ends of the string are tied together 

 to keep it from coming out. The skin below the seaton 

 should be well greased with fresh lard or vaseline, to 

 prevent its being scalded bj- the pus which is dis- 

 charged. The seaton should be shifted about every 

 day and washed clean. Sometimes medicinal substances 



