98 MODERN FARRIER. 



Mr Hichard Lawrence has some very judiciou?^ 

 observations on this subject. ' In all recent wounds/ 

 says he, ' the first step necessary is to probe them, 

 to ascertain whether any extraneous substance, such 

 as sphnters of wood, be left in the inside. These 

 should be instantly and carefully removed, for the 

 wound cannot heal whilst any substance of that de- 

 scription remains within it ; and, indeed, the inflam- 

 mation is sometimes so much increased from that 

 circumstance, that mortification ensues, and, with it, 

 the death of the animal. If the wound arises simply 

 from a cut, or from laceration, without being accom- 

 panied by any bruise, the divided edges should be 

 brought together as soon as possible, by sewing 

 them with common brown thread and the applica- 

 tion of a bandage, and the external inflammation 

 may be moderated by simple fomentations of bran 

 and water. For there is generally inflammation 

 enough in the injured part to carry on the liealing 

 process without having recourse to stimulating ap- 

 plications, and caustics are wholly unnecessary and 

 improper in all fresh wounds. But the almost inva- 

 riable practice of country farriers is to introduce a 

 tent of tow dipped in some strong oils, in which 

 case the inflammation is increased, and nature, in 

 making fruitless efforts to close the wound, whilst 

 it is thus kept asunder by the interposition of the 

 tent, is excited to an excessive degree, and a great 

 quantity of proud flesh, or superfluous granulations, 

 arise at the edges, which soon become diseased ; and 

 that which was at first but a simple healthy wound 

 is converted, by injudicious treatment, into a foul 

 and callous ulcer. 



* The benefit of healing wounds by the first in- 

 tention is particularly manifest in cases of over- 

 reaches on the heels of the fore-feet from the shoes 

 of the hind-feet. For in these cases nothing more 

 is necessary than to wash the part thoroughly with 

 warm water, so as to remove all sand or dirt what- 



