BURNS AND SCALDS. 109 



is soft and gives the feeling of being full of fluid, and is more or 

 less hot and painful. In the event of successful treatment, all in- 

 flammatory symptoms may subside. If the diseased process con- 

 tinues, the swelling becomes hard and diffuse. Owing to the pain 

 which movement of the part causes, the sufferer carries his head 

 stifiiy. Abscesses form, break out on the surface of the skin, and 

 burrow deeply down so as to involve bone and muscle. Death may 

 occur from exhaustion and from pus gaining entrance into the spinal 

 canal. 



TREATMENT.— Treat as for abscess (p. 79). A seton will gene- 

 rally act well. Feed from a raised manger and not from the ground. 

 A horse with poll evil should not be turned out to grass; for re' 

 taining the head for a long time in a low position would seriously 

 interfere with the animal's chances of recovery. 



Burns and Scalds. 



VARIETIES OF BURNS.-^Cadiot and Almy divide these 

 injuries as follows : Burns of the first degree, in which only hair 

 has been consumed and a slight inflammation of the skin set up. 

 Burns of the second degree, in which blisters and pustules have 

 been produced. Burns of the third degree, in which the skin has 

 become charred, with or without grave results. 



TREATMENT. — A burn or scald injures by nervous shock, and 

 by producing a wound, which we should treat antiseptically (p. 67), 

 so that it may heal up with the formation of as little pus as possible. 

 If blisters appear, draw off the fluid by introducing a needle under 

 the skin about half an inch beyond the margin of the lowest point 

 of the blister, so that the fluid (serum) may be pressed out through 

 the passage made by the needle, without air being permitted to 

 enter the sac. Tliis is done in order to retain the cuticle of the 

 injured part, as a protection to it. To render the needle free from 

 germs, it may, before using it, be kept in boiling water for about 

 five minutes, and then allowed to cool. If the skin be merely red- 

 dened or blistered, we may apply iodoform ointment, zinc oint- 

 ment, glycerine, sweet oil, castor oil, or carron oil, and keep it 

 covered over with antiseptic cotton wool for a few days. If the 

 skin be injured, with or without implication of the underlying 

 tissues, we should treat the injury antiseptically as an ordinary 

 wound which we hope will heal with as little suppuration as 

 possible. We may therefore apply tannoform, iodoform, or oxide 

 of zinc freely over the part, and cover it over with antiseptic cotton 

 wool or lint or ordinary cotton wool smeared over with iodoform 



