INFLAMMATION AND WOUNDS 211 



treatment consists in keeping the wound clean by washing the 

 part dailv, or twice daily, with an antiseptic wash that is non- 

 irritating. Irritating the new granuhitions may be avoided by 

 frequent and careful cleansing of the wound. It is sometimes 

 advisable to protect the granulating surface against irritation 

 by dusting it over with a non-irritating antiseptic powder, or 

 applying a mixture of carbolic acid one part and glycerine twelve 

 parts. After the wound shows healthy granulations longer 

 intervals should lapse between treatments. 



In poorly cared for and badly infected wounds, the part 

 may become badly swollen, the granulations pile up and the 

 wound refuse to " heal over." It may be advisable in such 

 cases to cut away the excessive granulations and stop the hemor- 

 rhage by cauterization with a red-hot iron, or by compression. 

 Unhealthy granulations may be kept down by applying caustic 

 occasionally. 



Abscess. — This is an accumulation of pus in the tissues. 

 It may be due to a severe bruise or contusion that is followed by 

 the infection of the part with some of the pus-producing bacteria. 

 Abscesses occur in certain infectious diseases. In strangles, the 

 disease-producing organism may be carried to different regions 

 of the body by the circulatory vessels. This may result in a 

 number of abscesses forming in the different body tissues. 



The following forms of abscess are recognized: hot and 

 cold, superficial and deep, simple and multiple. The hot is the 

 acute, and the cold the chronic abscess. The terms superficial 

 and deep allude to the relative position of the abscess, and sim- 

 ple and multiple to the number present. 



An abscess may first appear as a hot, painful swelling. If 

 superficial, the skin feels tense and the contents fluctuate when 

 pressed on. Later the fever subsides and when the abscess is 

 pressed upon no pain occurs. Deep abscess may not fluctuate. 



The treatment consists in converting the abscess into an open 

 wound whenever possible. The incision should extend to the 

 lowest part of the wall, so as to insure complete drainage. A 



