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flov.- or trickle over the wound. Never nib an incised wound with 

 any coarse substance. When the incision is parallel to the muscular 

 fibers the wound does not gape to any extent. Stitches placed about 

 an inch apart are here advisable, or we may keep the edges of the 

 wound together by means of a bandage. If the incision be across 

 the direction of the muscular fibers gaping ensues and a "pocket" 

 forms at the bottom of the wound in which lodge blood and pus. In 

 my experience stitches do more harm than good in such cases. They 

 irritate the parts and soon cause sloughing of the skin. A bandage, 

 so applied as to bring the edges of the wound as close together as 

 possible, is here preferable. It should be applied from below upwards, 

 as this encourages union from the bottom, and serves to prevent the 

 accumulation of pus in the wound. But little is to be done after this. 

 By means of a sponge apply some simple antiseptic wash, carbolic 

 acid 1 part, glvcerine 10 to 15 parts. If the parts become very much 

 soiled they are to be gently washed with castile or carbolic soap and 

 hot water. Should proud flesh appear it is to be treated with burnt 

 alum, powdered bluestone, etc. Ofacious meddling and frequent 

 "dressing" of such wounds do more harm than good. 



Incised wounds of tendons, or of any vital part of the body, require 

 professional attendance, and can not be separately treated of here. 



Lacerated and contused wounds may be described together, although 

 there is of course this difference, that in contused wounds there is no 

 break or laceration of the skin. Lacerated wounds, however, are as 

 a rule also contused— the surrounding tissues are bruised to a greater 

 or lesser extent. While such wounds may not appear at first sight to 

 be as serious as incised wounds they are commonly very much more 

 so. Lacerations and contusions, when extensive, are always to be 

 regarded as dangerous. Many horses die from septic infection or 

 mortification as a result of these injuries. We find in severe con- 

 tusions an infiltration of blood into the surrounding tissues; dis- 

 organization and mortification follow, and involve often the deeper 

 seated structures. Abscesses, single or multiple, may also result and 

 call for specal treatment. 



In wounds that are lacerated the amount of hemorrhage is mostly 

 inconsiderable ; even very large blood vessels are thus torn apart with- 

 out inducing a fatal result. The edges of the wound are ragged and 

 uneven. These wounds are produced by some blunt object, as where 

 a horse runs against fences, board piles, the corners of buildings, or 

 where he is struck by the pole or shafts of another team, falling on 

 rough, irregular stones, etc. 



Trecdment.— In lacerated wounds great care must at first be exer- 

 cised in examining or probing to the very bottom of the rent or tear 

 to see if any foreign body be present. Very often splinters of wood or 

 bits of stone or dirt are thus lodged, and unless removed prevent the 

 wound from healing; or if it should heal the wound soon opens again, 



