WOUNDS AND THEIR TREATMENT. 



By CH. B. MICHENER, V. S., 

 Professor of Cattle Pathology and Obstetrics at the Xeir York College of Veter- 

 inary Surgeons, Inspector of the Bureau of Animal Industry, etc. 



Wounds are of different kinds, and are classified as incised, lacer- 

 afbd, contused, punctured, and gunshot. 



An incised wound, or cut, is made with some sharp body. The edges 

 of the wound are smooth, as though cut with a knife. These wounds 

 are the simplest we are called upon to treat. If they occur in fleshy 

 parts, if blood-vessels, tendons, or joints are not injured, they soon 

 recover and often without any treatment whatever. When bleeding 

 to any considerable extent follows, and this is more likely to occur 

 from incised than lacerated or contused wounds, we must first of all 

 stop the flow of blood before attempting to close the wound itself or 

 apply any other treatment. Hemorrhage may take place from either 

 arteries or veins. If from arteries, the blood is bright red or scarlet 

 in color, and flows in jerks or jets; if from veins, it is darker in color 

 and the flow is regular. Bleeding from large vessels may be stopped 

 by compress bandages, torsion, hot iron, and ligatures. 



Bu bandages.— It the blood is from an artery, the pressure should 

 be applied between the wound and the center of circulation, i. e., 

 toward the body; if from a vein, toward the extremities. Torsion is 

 to be applied by the artery forceps grasping the divided vessel and 

 twisting it the proper number of times. The liot iron (budding iron) 

 may also be used to sear the end of a blood vessel and thus stopbleed- 

 ing. Of all means, however, employed to stop the flow of blood from 

 a large vessel a ligature is the best. The divided end of the artery or 

 vein is to be caught up and firmly tied about one-half incli from its 

 division. Should profuse bleeding occur from the incision of a great 

 number of small vessels, it is best stopped by compresses moistened 

 with the tincture of the chloride of iron or other astringents. Any 

 moderately tight bandage of oakum, tow, cob-Avebs, etc., will stop the 

 hemorrhage, often without the medicaments referred to. 



When we have controlled the bleeding our next step is to cleanse 

 the wound. This is to be accomplished by allowing warm water to 



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