208 WOUNDS IN THE CHEST OR BELLY. 



an abscess, or which would speedily become one, into 

 a common wound. Fistulous withers are quite as 

 serious as poll evil; for the sinuses may penetrate 

 between the shoulder and the ribs even to the chest. 

 Wherever they go they must be followed, and setons 

 passed through the more deep of them. For this 

 purpose, which involves a very dangerous operation, 

 an instrument termed a concealed seton-needle should 

 be employed : because the part through which the 

 sinus travels being crowded with arteries and nerves, 

 the use of a common needle increases the peril of the 

 operation. This being effected, the same mode of 

 treatment that has been recommended in poll evil 

 may be adopted, and with equal success. The knife, 

 however, must be boldly employed by a scientific 

 hand. The orifice must be kept open ; or where it 

 is possible to do so with safet}^, the sinuses should be 

 slit up, the after treatment consisting merely in the 

 liberal use of the chloride of zinc wash. Fistulous 

 withers are more likely to return than poll evil is, 

 from the pressure which may be too soon brought to 

 bear on a tender and an irritable part. 



WOUNDS PENETRATING THE CHEST OR BELLY. 



The horse is not so subject to these as cattle are; 

 but he is now and then staked and occasionally 

 gored. If the wound is on the side, its direction and 

 locality will explain whether it has penetrated the 

 cavity of the chest. This fact will likewise be told 

 by a peculiar hissing sound at each act of breathing ; 

 and by a bloody froth being about the mouth of the 

 wound. These wounds must be closed as quickly and 

 as accurately as possible ; a pledget of lint moistened 



