CHAP. II.] CRITICAL ABSCESS. OPERATION. 317 



rub off the bandage, let a more extended bandage 

 be employed. For such an one, and as to further 

 particulars, the reader may consult page 226, where 

 a bandage for sore throat is depicted. 



By those means the swelling will come to a heady 

 and give signs of being about to burst, but which 

 we have reason to believe never happens spon- 

 taneously by reason of the thickness of the skin. 

 Apply the knife, or bistoury, as directed much at 

 large in the case of poll-evil ; give the like purga- 

 tive on the same day, and lower diet is to take place 

 of the above-mentioned. When it so happens that 

 the opening has been made too soon, before it has 

 accumulated sufficiently, the orifice may be kept 

 open by means of a seton passing through it to the 

 lowest or most depending side, and the running 

 continued for several days, until it assumes a 

 healthy appearance and the swelling subsides. This 

 plan must always be adopted with the slow or 

 sordid tumour, which will not come forward, though 

 treated with the onion poultice, and even with a 

 blister: then let the seton be applied, without 

 cutting, changing it daily and soaking the tape m 

 the irritating mixture, as in case of poll-evil, page 

 327. That other critical abscess, called strangles, 

 comes under a distinct head farther down. 



Deep-seated abscess, under the fascia of the 

 muscles of the belly, is scarcely ever curable, being 

 seldom discovered to the eye until too late to render 

 assistance in bringing it to the surface by means of 

 strong drawing poultices, as in case of obstinate 



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