THE STUDY OF THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM 71 



of a brutal cattle-man or horse-man. In such cases cold water 

 bandages can be applied, or the parts may be thickly and loosely 

 covered with cotton wadding and firmly bandaged. 



132. Lacerated Wounds are when the skin, flesh, and tissue 

 are torn in an irregular or jagged manner, and caused by the animal 

 coming in contact with some sharp body, such as barbed wire. 

 Strange to say, we have little or no bleeding from this class of 

 wounds. Their treatment is simple : Dress with the antiseptic 

 mixture, and draw the parts together with sutures ; then keep the 

 inflammation in abeyance, by means of cold water applications, 

 until healthy matter comes from the wound, which generally 

 heals by granulation — this, of course, must be kept in check by 

 caustic applications (par. 1060, Nos. V. and VI.). 



133. Punctured Wounds are produced by sharp-pointed objects, 

 such as knives, pitchforks, stakes, thorns, etc., and are at all times 

 regarded as dangerous. A minute examination should be made, as 

 frequently a piece of wood, etc., is found, after many days, at the 

 bottom of the wound. In all cases the foreign body should be care- 

 fully removed where practicable ; but in some cases it is dangerous 

 to remove it at first, and it has to be left to suppurate out of itself, 

 or until it can be removed without risk. When the bleeding is 

 excessive it must be stopped by plugging, and the part treated as 

 described under Incised Wounds (par. 128). There is always a 

 great danger of blood-poisoning setting in, especially if the thick 

 part of a muscle be injured ; and in no case should this description 

 of wound be ' tinkered ' with, more particularly if the wound takes 

 a downward direction — i.e., the internal part of the wound is lower 

 than the external opening — in which case it has to be cut into. 

 Punctures from thorns, in the hunting-field, often cause a great 

 deal of lameness, as well as constitutional disturbance, more particu- 

 larly if in the knee, hock, or other joint ; and if a piece of thorn has 

 been broken in under the skin cold water bandages answer best 

 until suppuration sets in, when the thorn can be removed. Punctured 

 wounds also frequently cause lock-jaw, when the irritating cause is 

 such as nails in the feet. 



