THE HORSE—GENERAL DISEASES AND INJURIES, 203: 
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tation. Provide a dry stable, with good ventilation. Give nourishing food. 
Require but little work, but insure a reasonable amount of light exercise. 
ABSCESSES. 
Abscesses are collections of pus in some parts or organs of the body. 
They may result from some of the diseases or injuries elsewhere mentioned. 
in this work, as fever, for instance, or they may be caused by a disorder in 
the blood without any apparent previous disease. Some part is inflamed. 
and pus forms, which will either float about in the tissues or be collected in 
one place, the enveloping sac becoming full and yielding to the touch, and 
generally rising to a point or “head,” finally bursting and letting out its. 
contents. They may and generally do form under the skin, but may oc- 
cur within the animal, as in the lungs. When they are deep in the flesh 
the pus cannot readily come out, and a narrow canal is formed 
which leads to the surface. 
TREATMENT.—IF the abscess be in the inner organs, an improvement 
of the horse’s general condition is all that one can do, and regard shouid 
be had to the feeding, grooming, ventilation and the like. If the abscess. 
can be reached, cut it open at the most prominent point when it pulsates, is 
soft and nearly ready to burst. In such cases it would soon burst spon- 
taneously, but cutting averts the rough, irregular and large opening which 
the natural process causes. Should it not come to a point, but spread, open 
at once. If the disorder is owing to the presence of irritating fluids, open 
immediately and let the fluids escape. If the formation of pus be unduly, 
slow, apply a poultice or mild blister, dzet not until the abscess shows signs 
of coming to a head. If the sore be deep in, the flesh, and a canal has. 
been formed leading to the surface, it will often be necessary to cut the 
walls of the canal completely open to the bottom, thus making an incised 
wound, and treating as directed under Incised Wounds. It is seldom, if 
ever, advisable to check or disperse matter when once forming. When an 
opening has been cut, gently squeeze out the matter and inject warm water 
into the sore with a syringe twice daily for two or three days, and keep the 
edges of the sore clean. If bloody matter is discharged, add some diluted. 
ammonia to the warm water. 
For high fever, local inflammation, swelling or tumor threatening an 
abscess, give ten drops of aconite every two or three hours. If suppuration 
is slow, give hepar every three hours. For an abscess which discharges a 
thin, discolored, offensive matter or pus of a bad odor, give five grains of 
asafcetida three times daily, and apply a wash of either one grain of 
chloride of zinc to an ounce of water, or ten drops of carbolic acid to am 
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