282 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



WOUNDS. 



In the study of wounds it is necessary to under- 

 stand the nature of the structure wounded. The 

 external surface of the animal body is chiefly com- 

 posed of two kinds of tissue, the highly organized 

 and the low form. All the fleshy or muscular 

 parts belong to the former; the tendons, ligaments 

 and cartilage to the latter. What is meant by 

 highly-organized tissue is where it is largely sup- 

 plied with blood vessels, nerves and lymphatics, 

 while the low order of tissue contains very few if 

 any blood vessels, nerves and lymphatics, and is 

 nourished by the vessels which ramify over their, 

 surface. When a muscle is wounded, the first 

 thing nature does is to pour out a liquid to repair 

 the mischief done. This may take place by ad- 

 hesion or by a fine granular substance which de- 

 velops and fills up the injured part; blood vessels 

 shoot into it and it becomes flesh, and so it pro- 

 ceeds until the part is repaired, and if no accident 

 happens to it, either by the animal rubbing or bit- 

 ing it, and last but not least, by the applying of 

 irritant substances such as turpentines or strong 

 liniments, which destroy the fine, delicate young 

 tissue that nature is pouring out for repair, all that 

 is needed to assist nature in the healing is to pro- 



