IX] 



SURGICAL DISEASES AND CONFORMATION 



103 



fomentations did little good except to relieve pain 

 by acting as a sedative. On the other hand, it 

 was liable to do considerable harm by softening 

 the tissues, thus increasing the exudation of fluid 

 from the capillaries. 



Gold water, ice, or refrigerant lotions, as 

 ammonium chloride, chloroform, ethyl-chloride, 

 ether, and hydrochloric acid, etc., cause contrac- 

 tion of the tissues and produce pressure that 

 checks the exudations from the capillaries ; but 

 in acute inflammation they will check the flow of 

 blood, and as blood is necessary for vital repair, 

 cold water must never be applied until the in- 

 flammation has been removed from the part. 

 Under most favourable conditions the above 

 applications are never so beneficial as proper 

 massage and mechanical pressure, which method 

 is the only satisfactory one for removing in- 

 flammation. But if massaging is done, it must 

 be done with energy for a long period ; it is 

 useless unless it is done for fifteen minutes at 

 each application. 



407. External Counter - irritants. — Ether, 

 chloroform, copper sulphate, iron perchloride, 

 tincture of iodine, liniment of belladonna, can- 

 tharides, ammonia and water, and alcohol, when 

 evaporation is prevented. 



Stimulating Liniments. 



1. Spirits of ammonia. 

 Methylated spirits. 

 Oil of turpentine. 



Of each, 1 oz., add water 5 oz., mix, and make 

 liniment. If opium, 1 oz., is added, it is good 

 for sore parts. 



2. Camphor. 

 Chloral hydrate. 



Of each, 1 oz., rub well together in mortar, 

 and the ingredients will form into a liquid. 



3. ABC liniment. 

 Liniment of aconite. 

 Liniment of belladonna. 

 Chloroform. 



Of each, 1 oz., mix well. 



4. Camphor, 1 oz. 

 Alcohol, 4 oz. 



Liquid ammonia fort., 2 oz. 

 Oil of linseed, 1 pint. 

 Mix and make liniment. 



5. Compound liniment of camphor [see Sec. 

 404). 



Any of the above counter-irritants or stimu- 

 lating liniments must be well applied with good 

 hand rubbing and finger working for twenty 

 minutes. 



408. Blistering, Firing, and Massaging. — Blis- 

 tering on bony exudations is of very little per- 

 manent use ; firing is usually more beneficial. 

 The amount of good gained by either in many 

 cases is slight, but in some it is considerable. In 

 most cases more good could be derived by resort- 

 ing to thorough daily massaging and using a 

 suitable liniment as a lubricant and aid to stimu- 



lation. Too great importance cannot be laid on 

 scientific massaging. 



From an expert massaging can be learnt by a 

 groom in a few hours sufficiently well to enable 

 him to be of great value when his horses get 

 sprained or require massaging for other reasons. 



Captain Hayes says : " The benefit obtained in 

 many instances from firing is undoubtedly due to 

 the absence of severe work which it necessita- 

 tates." The strongest advocates of firing allow 

 that they only expect 50 per cent, of cases to 

 benefit. Severe blisters, as a rule, will do more 

 good, and, generally, massaging still more. This 

 applies to sprained tendons and sprained sus- 

 pensory ligaments and sprained muscles. Other 

 conditions, such as curb, bog spavin, thorough- 

 pin, and bone or jack spavin, are usually better 

 cured by blistering. There are a great many 

 patent medicines on the market that practically 

 take the place of firing, and there are likewise a 

 great many which are a swindle. 



The success of any treatment usually depends 

 on a long rest of from six weeks to three months, 

 or longer. I have come across scores of horses 

 that have been fired and blistered with scarcely 

 any benefit, and feel confident that many of these 

 cases could have been cured at home by scientific 

 massaging. 



409. Blistering. — The part must be clipped, 

 but not too closely, then it must be greased with 

 dripping fat or other animal fat around the 

 actual spot to be blistered (and not over it), 

 especially below it to prevent the blister from 

 running down. The blister is then rubbed in for 

 from three to ten minutes. The horse must have 

 a cradle put on its neck, or be tied up short, to 

 prevent it from biting the part, and other pre- 

 cautions must be taken to prevent the horse 

 licking the part when it commences to smart, as 

 it will in four to six hours. When the action is 

 well marked it must be watched, and when it is 

 considered that sufficient irritation has been 

 caused, i.e. in twelve to twenty-four hours, the 

 part must be gently washed with warm water 

 and animal fat rubbed gently over the whole. 



The grease must be rubbed in every few days. 

 In any case the part must be washed and well 

 greased thirty-six hours after application, and if 

 the effect is not sufficient the treatment can be 

 repeated in two weeks. It is, however, always 

 best to rub a good blister in for ten minutes, and 

 when sufficient irritation is caused, i.e. when the 

 part becomes very hot and swollen, the leg 

 must be washed and greased as explained above. 

 Strong measures cause less suffering in the end, 

 and do more good than half-hearted ones. 



410. Blisters. 



1. Strong blister (use with caution). 



Oil of croton 30 min. 



Mercury biniodide 2 dr. 



Oil of turpentine 2 dr. 



Parke Davis vesicant, add to make 2 oz. 



