124 The Horse Faeeiek. 



pin should be withdrawn. When the bleeding is to be 

 repeated, if more than three or four hours have elapsed, 

 it will be better to make a fresh mcision rather than to 

 open the old wound. 



In local inflammation, blood may be taken from any of 

 the superficial veins. In supposed affection of the shoul- 

 der, or of the fore-leg or foot, the plate vein, which comes 

 from the inside of the arm, and runs upwards directly in 

 front of it towards the jugular, may be opened. In af- 

 fections of the hind extremity, blood is sometimes ex- 

 tracted from the saphoena^ or thigh-vein, w^hich runs 

 across the inside of the thigh. In foot cases it may be 

 taken from the coronet, or, much more safely, from the 

 toe ; not by cutting out a piece of the sole at the toe of 

 the frog, which somtimes causes a wound difficult to heal, 

 and followed by festering, and even by canker ; but cut- 

 ting down with a fine drawing-knife, called a searcher, at 

 the union between the crust and the sole at the very toe 

 until the blood flows, and, if necessary, encouraging its 

 discharge by dipping the foot in warm water. The mesh- 

 work of both arteries and veins will be here divided, and 

 blood is generally obtained in any quantity that may be 

 needed. The bleeding may be stopped with the greatest 

 ease, by placing a bit of tow in the little groove that has 

 been cut, and tacking the shoe over it.* — Youatt. 



* A great improvement has lately been introduced in the method of arresting 

 arterial hemorrhage. The oj)eration is vfry simple, and, Avilh common care 

 successful. The instrument is a pair of artery forceps, with rather sharper teeth, 

 than the common forceps, and the blades held close by a slide. The vessel is laid 

 bare, detached from the cellular substance around It, and the artery then grasp- 

 ed by the forci-ps, the instrument deviating a very little from the line of the artery. 

 The vessel Is now divided close to the forceps, and behind them, and the forceps are 

 twisted fuur or five times round. The forceps are then loosened, and, generally 

 speaking, not more than a drop or two of blood will have been lost. This method 



