OUTS OR WOUNDS. 



571 



moved, sinuses are i almost sure to again form after the wound is 

 healed, when the whofe treatment must be repeated. 



Punctured wounds of the tendons, and the capsular ligaments 

 of t the joints, which often happen in the hind or fore legs, should be 

 first touched with lunar caustic by making the stick pointed, and in- 

 sert into the wound an eighth of an inch 

 or more ; then if necessary, poultice. 

 This class of wounds, it is found, do not 

 do well by the treatment pursued in 

 other wounds. So long as there is free- 

 dom of the synovial fluid in pasing off or 

 any irritants are permitted to enter such 

 a cavity, they seem only to aggravate it. 

 The point is first to stop this, which can 

 be done best as directed, Or by touching lightly with a hot iron ; 

 keep the animal quiet, and use an astringent dressing ; if inflamma- 

 tion is excessive, poultice, and there will usually be no trbuble. 



If clean cut, or the Wound is of a character that will permit the 

 edges being brought together, as in cases where the skin is widely' 

 separated, the point is, after sponging out the part so as to remove 

 any foreign matter, to bring the edges together, and hold theni in 

 apposition, if it can be done without the skin sloughing, until heal- 

 ing by iirst intention takes place; but this tan seldom be accom- 



Fra. 882. 



Fie. 883. 



Fig. 884. 



plished, excepting to a partial decree, in the horse, on account of 

 the amount of muscular action of the skin ; but in many cases it 

 must be resorted to, and will enable holding the edges together suf- 

 ficiently long to allow the wound to heal without leaving much of 

 a scar. 



The stitches, which should be from three quarters to an inch 

 apart t can be made by means of a curved, flat needle, with silk or 

 linen well waxed. I give illustrations of different methods' of do- 

 ing this, which should make it sufficiently plain to be understood. 

 First by stitcnes ; or by approximating the edges by stitches passed 



