22 INFLAMMATION. 



bleeding in the horse being often followed by bad 

 consequences, every precaution is required to prevent 

 such results. 



Should swelling appear, then the lips of the wound 

 will open ; a thin fluid is discharged from the wound ; 

 the neck feels hot; when the pin ought to be with- 

 out delay withdrawn, and the part should be imme- 

 diately stimulated by the application of a mild blister. 



Sometimes the first indication of an inflamed vein 

 is a swelling of the part, which often increases rapidly 

 above the seat of bleeding ; because the inflamma- 

 tion of the vein obstructs or stops the flow of blood. 

 When this is the case, it becomes a somewhat serious 

 affair. The vessel feels like a hard cord under the 

 fingers, and if left alone, abscesses form along its 

 course, and the brain may at length become affected. 



The head of the horse should be tied to the rack, 

 and his diet consist wholly of mashes or gruel, so as to 

 avoid the movement of the jaws as much as possible. 

 The orifice should be kept open, though it seldom is 

 disposed to close, and a blister, without loss of time, 

 should be applied over the enlargement. The blister 

 should be washed off the second day, and repeated ; 

 only on the second occasion it should embrace a 

 larger surface ; and blister after blister, as quickly as 

 the circumstances of the case will allow, should follow 

 one another until the desired effect is attained. If 

 any matter exude from the orifice, it may be en- 

 larged, and, if any pipes or sinuses^ form, these should 

 be laid open. The abscesses merely require to be 

 treated after the manner recommended under that 

 head in another part of this work. 



