28 The Farmer's Veterinary Adviser. 



contraction of the former attended by pallor of the surface. 

 They greatly favor suppuration when that is already inevita- 

 ble, though in other cases they may obviate it by checking 

 at an early stage the acute inflammatory process on which 

 it depends. Any bland agent that will retain heat and 

 moisture will make an excellent poultice, though flaxseed- 

 meal is the type of a soothing demulcent application. Very 

 slight inflammation may be successfully treated at the out- 

 set with a stimulating embrocation (alcohol or camphorated 

 spirit), yet in the more violent type of acute inflammation 

 all local excitants tend to aggravate the disease. In these 

 violent forms the activity of the disease should be first 

 abated by local soothing and general sedative measures, and 

 tlien the part over the inflamed organ may be safely 

 treated with a stimulating liniment or even a blister. In 

 «uch cases the liniment first acts as a derivative of blood 

 and nervous energy from the inflamed part, and later and 

 still more beneficially by securing in it a sympathetic heal- 

 ing process, like that set up in the skin. In raw sores 

 where inflammation has been set up the granulations may 

 become dropsical or excessive, bulging beyond the adjacent 

 skin as proud flesh. This should be repressed by touching 

 it gently with some mild caustic (lunar caustic), so as to pro- 

 duce a thin white film, and the remote cause of the inflam- 

 mation (often a local irritant) should be sought and removed. 

 In some unhealthy sores tending to excessive granulation, 

 the compound tincture of myrrh and aloes may be applied 

 daily with great benefit. 



Blistering. In subacute and chronic inflammations and 

 in those acute forms in which the violence of the infiamma- 

 tory action has been already subdued by soothing measures, 

 blisters and other counter-irritants may be employed to 

 counteract the remaining inflammatory action. These act 

 primarily by drawing off blood and nervous energy from 

 the inflamed organ to the skin, and secondarily, by estab- 



