456 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



of lead may be used ; or the surface may be dusted thickly with starch 

 or flour aud covered with the cotton wool, or oil of turpentine may be 

 applied over the scalded skin. Burns are well treated by liniment 

 made of equal parts of lime Avater and linseed oil (Carron oil). 

 For both kinds of injuries cosmoline 10 parts, and carbolic acid 1 

 part, proves an excellent dressing. Blisters should be pricked with 

 a needle and emptied to prevent their ru^Dture and exposures of the 

 raw surface. 



Severe burns, leading to destruction of very extensive patches of 

 skin, usually render a horse useless by reason of the contraction of the 

 resulting scar. Hence the treatment of such is rarely advisable, unless 

 followed by a skillful plastic operation. In other cases a skillful 

 transplanting of epidermis, shaved from a healthy surface with a 

 sharp razor, will secure the healing of a granulating wound which 

 has proved obstinate to all other measures. In cases of burns with 

 mineral acids (sulphuric, nitric, or hydrochloric) avoid water, as that 

 will develop heat, and cover the surface with dry whiting or chalk, 

 and only when eifervescence has ceased wash off with water. When 

 the caustic has been a salt (coj^peras, bluest one, chloride of zinc, etc.) 

 apply limewater or white of egg. If the irritant has been caustic 

 potash, soda, or ammonia, vinegar should be the first application. If 

 sores result they may be treated like ordinary wounds. 



WOUNDS OF THE SKIN. 



These are divided into incised (clean cut) wounds, lacerated {to7m) 

 wounds, and contused (bruised) and punctui^ed wounds. 



Incised wounds are the simplest, and the sharper the instrument, 

 and the cleaner the cut the greater the hope of speedy healing. 

 Something, however, depends on the seat and direction of the wound ; 

 thus, one running from before backward on the body, or from above 

 downward in the limb, will not tend to be drawn open and gape as 

 would one running transversely on the body or limb. Again, a wound 

 on a joint and running across the limb will gaj^e when the joint is 

 bent. Again, a clean-cut wound which has not been exposed to the 

 air, and which lodges no foreign body and no septic nor infecting 

 germ, will heal readily by simple adhesion, whereas those that have 

 been exposed and contain matter foreign to the tissues will have 

 healing delaj^ed or prevented by the disturbing action of such bodies. 



Healing in wounds may be said to take place by these modes : 



(1) By primary adhesioii^ in which case the spherical (embryonic) 

 cells, and the stellate connective tissue cells thrown out on the surface 

 of the wound rapidly multiply and form a bond of union between 

 the divided lips. Union by this means may be effected within 



