370 WOUNDS AXD THEIR TREATMENT 



and contusions) we find a different condition of the tissues. These 

 injuries are generally caused by some blunt object — for instance, a blow, 

 kick, shock, or fall. The soft parts are bruised and injured according 

 to the intensity of traumatism; very slight resistance is offered by the 

 loose connective tissue; small blood vessels are ruptured from crushing 

 or bruising the soft parts, and the hemorrhage that follows percolates all 

 through the torn tissues. The greatest amount of resistance is found in 

 the skin, face, sinews, and large blood vessels. 



Clinical Symptoms of Contusions. — One of the first symptoms of 

 a subcutaneous bruise is a swelling in the region of the injury. This 

 appears, as a rule, immediately after the injury, and is due to the blood 

 running out of the torn vessels. The fluids in the enlargement always 

 contain lymphatic substances on account of the laceration of certain 

 lymphatic glands. In rare cases Ave see a lymphatic secretion only, 

 which is distinguished from the blood secretion by being very slowly 

 absorbed. The fluid which appears lies either in. the loose connective 

 tissue under the skin or between the muscles, and, as a rule, is irregularly 

 divided, or we may find the condition presented in a number of ways; 

 for instance- we may find a ''doughy" swelling in one case, or it is accu- 

 mulated in centres in another, or we see a fluctuating swelling or a 

 "blood boil" (hematoma), or it may run into a cavity, and we have a 

 bloody secretion of the joint (hemarthrosis) , or we find a bloody secre- 

 tion in the cavity of the chest (hematothorax). The swellings, as a rule, 

 occur shortly after a contusion, and in the early stages rarely show any 

 inflammatory symptoms. Later, however, inflammatory symptoms 

 may appear. 



Beside the swollen condition of the tissues, the animal may present 

 symptoms of pain, especially at the time of the injury, and later on we 

 find the injured region very tender to the touch. 



The further course of the wound depends to a great extent on the 

 amount of the injury. If the skin is crushed in such a manner that all 

 the vessels are torn, it will become necrosed from deficient nutrition, and, 

 as a result, is indicated in the discharge, which contains septic blood and 

 broken doAvn tissue. 



In the treatment of contusions, to get good results we must have one 

 object in mind — that is, the rapid reabsorption of the secretion. For 

 that purpose we use cooling compresses soaked in lead-water (Goulard 's 

 extract), or arnica-water, or we may try to get absorption by means of 

 massage — that is to say, make a centrifugal friction with the thumbs, 

 fingers, or hand for fifteen or twenty minutes at a time. We may also 

 squeeze the excreted blood into the tissues and lymphatic passages, and 

 apply a tight bandage immediately afterward to prevent any recurrence 

 of the subcutaneous bleeding. This latter treatment is not to be 



