66 ANTISEPTIC TREATMENT OF WOUNDS. 
temperature without any disturbance of the general constitu- 
tion and is caused, according to the theory of VOLKMANN 
and GENZMER, simply through resorption of bland wound 
exudations. The.case is entirely different with aseptic fever. 
In it we find, besides a rise in temperature, a great nervous 
prostration, so that some horses stagger with the hind parts, 
and if slightly pushed with the hand stumble sideways, and 
even fall down. Furthermore, such patients suffer from com- 
plete loss of appetite and dizziness with stupor. 
To return to our subject as to the importance of traumatic 
fever in judging the healing of the wound, only septic fever 
necessitates a change of the bandage, while the aseptic fever 
is of no importance. Naturally there are septic fevers which 
show the above mentioned symptoms in only a small degree, 
for instance, the appetite is irregular with a temperature of 
from 39° to 4o° C. In such cases we should not immediately 
change the bandage but wait and see as to whether this con- 
dition lasts longer than twenty-four hours or gets worse. In 
the latter case the bandage must be changed immediately; 
however, if the temperature returns to its normal condition in 
the specified time, we omit taking off the bandage. 
Another, though not absolutely reliable, symptom of the 
wound-healing processes is the painfulness of the wound and 
surroundings. This symptom is unreliable inasmuch as the 
varied sensibilities of single individuals are shown in the pain- 
fulness of the wound. While dogs with wounded limbs as a 
rule put no weight whatever on them, oxen with even large 
hoof defects still work, although with pain. Just as different 
sometimes is the degree of sensibility even between individuals 
of the same animal species, thus, for instance, well bred horses 
do not, in slight hoof affections, put any weight on the affected 
limb, while working horses of a lower grade frequently show, 
even in severe affections, but insignificant pain. We can thus 
see that the painfulness has but a relative value according to 
circumstances, and I consider, as a rule, that only a pain which 
remained the same for over five days, and an increasing pain- 
