ACCIDENTAL AND OPERATION WOUNDS 49 



between the edges, the latter being drawn together b}' 

 sutures, and then bandaged or not at the discretion of the 

 surgeon. Dusty materials, such as sa\\'dust, po^^'dered cork, 

 peat-moss, etc., should particularly be avoided as kennel 

 bedding whilst wounds are being treated. 



For the detection of foreign bodies a probe is essential, 

 and for their removal either a pair of forceps, a curette, or 

 Volkmann's spoon (Fig. 40) may be required. The latter is 

 especially valuable where bone has been injured. The 

 presence of a dirt%' foreign body causes formation of pus, sets 

 up continual irritation, and must be removed before healing 

 can take place. If by chance it is an aseptic foreign body, 

 it may become encapsuled. As an everyday illustration of 

 the latter, one has the sequel to the use of silkworm gut as 

 suture material to the muscular layer of the abdominal wall 

 after laparotomy. It can readily be found surrounded by a 

 thickening of the tissues if a post-mortem examination is made 

 on the patient even two or three years afterwards. 



\\"hen the skin is \-ery tight over any place, or where a lot 

 of it has been accidentally torn out or intentionally excised, 

 and it is still desirable to unite the edges, an operation known 

 as Cherry's operation is performed. This consists in 

 making a fresh incision longitudinally through the skin on 

 each side of the original wound in such a way that the tension 

 on the original edges is removed ; the)- can thus be brought 

 together and the sutures will not be pulled apart. One thus 

 leaves three scars to heal instead of only one, but the result 

 is usually quite satisfactory. A case related on p. 270 

 (Fig. 172) sho\\s a tj'pical instance in which it was utilized 

 successfully, and the operation for cleft palate is done in 

 this way. 



When it is not considered advisable to draw the edges 

 together, and the wound is left open, the thorough applica- 

 tion of antiseptics must be resorted to, either by application 

 on clean wadding or with a syringe. S>-ringes should be 



4 



