592 THE BOOK OF THE DOG. 



Had the abscess not been opened at all, and had it not even burst of its own accord, 

 mortification might have ensued the part would in simple language have rotted out, and 

 perhaps- the patient gotten feebler and more feeble till he sank, and died of low fever. 



Now in inflammations of internal organs we should have a fever or fevers of much the 

 same character to guide us. 



Pathologically considered, we may state in few words that the local redness is caused by 

 the increased amount of blood in the capillaries. This redness momentarily disappears when 

 pressed by the finger. 



The swelling is caused partially by the greater volume of blood in the part, and partly 

 by cedema that is, by the oozing into the tissues surrounding the over-filled capillaries of a 

 portion of serum, or blood itself, from rupture of the small vessels. 



The heat is caused by the greater amount of oxidation going on in the part. 



The pain may be of different kinds. This the poor animal cannot tell you of ; he cannot 

 describe his feelings, so he suffers in silence, or gives vent to cries, to howls, or to simple moans. 



Tenderness on pressure is another symptom of inflammation, and one that at times is 

 diagnostic. 



Congestion is simply, so far as we are concerned, a kind of mild inflammation. In 

 inflammation, say in the centre of a tumour, there is stagnation of the blood, perhaps rupture 

 of some of the capillaries, and exudation of the liquor sanguinis. Around this we have active 

 congestion, the blood is not quite stagnant, but the little vessels are very full of blood. 

 Around this, again, there is what is called determination. Capillaries are still gorged, but there 

 is rapid movement of the blood through them. 



Treatment of Inflammation. Our first endeavour ought to be to remove the cause, and to 

 obtain resolution. Failing in this, suppuration would be the next best thing to be desired. 



Our treatment, then, resolves itself into the local and constitutional. But all harsh and 

 weakening measures are to be deprecated. The day has gone by when practitioners trusted to 

 bleeding, leeching, large doses of tartar emetic, setons, and all such lowering remedies. Why, 

 even in those cases which they managed to cure, the period of convalescence was necessarily 

 very protracted. 



In the case of a superficial injury to a dog's limb or other part of the body, if seen at once, 

 our treatment must be directed to the prevention of inflammation. This cannot be better carried 

 out than by the application of cold, either by cold water applied by means of linen rags, or 

 by the india-rubber ice-bag. Care must be taken, however, not to freeze the part, else gangrene 

 may occur. Or you may use the cooling lotion, or the arnica lotion, or a drachm of sugar 

 of lead to a pint of soft water and a little spirit, or the vinegar lotion where there is much pain. 



R. Spirit. Mindereri ... ... 3 ij. 



Sp. vini rectific. ... ... 3 iiij. 



Aquae camph. 3 xv. 



F lotio. M. 



$.. Arnicae tinct. ... ... 5 vj. 



Aquas ... ... ... 3 x. 



F'- lotio. M. 



#>. Acet. acid dil. . .. 5 v. 



Aquas... ... ... ... 3 xv. 



Tinct. Opii , ... 3 j. 



P lotio. M, 



