194 



not to draw the skin too mucli from the neck, — otherwise 

 blood will insinuate itself between it and the muscles be- 

 neath, and cause an unsightly and sometimes troublesome 

 swelling. 



The blood should be received into a vessel, the dimen- 

 sions of which are exactly known, so that the operator may 

 be able to calculate at every period of the bleeding the 

 quantity that is subtracted. Twenty-four hours after the 

 operation, the edges of the wound will have united, and 

 the pin should be withdrawn. When the bleeding is to be 

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

 fresh incision will be better than opening the old wound. 



For general bleeding the jugular vein is selected as the 

 largest superficial one, and most easily got at. In every 

 affection of the head, and in cases of fever or extended 

 inflammatory action, it is decidedly the best place for 

 bleeding. In local inflammation, blood may be taken from 

 any of the superficial veins. In supposed affection of the 

 shoulder, 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 extracted 

 from the saphcena^ or thigh-vein, which 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 

 sometimes causes a wound difiicult to heal, and followed 

 by festering, and even by canker ; but cutting 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 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. 



