TREATMENT 73 
tized, with chloroform or narcotized with 
chloral. 
Preparation of the Field—Scraping off the 
dried pus encrusted over the shoulders, wash- 
ing the skin with soap and hot water must pre- 
cede the attention to the field itself, as other- 
wise no effectual cleansing of the withers for 
surgical work would be effectual. Preferably 
this should be done on the day preceding the 
operation, and to prevent further soiling the 
shoulders might be annointed with vaseline. 
The hair over the withers and on each side, 
down no less than ten inches, is clipped and if 
possible shaved. The mane is clipped off well 
forward over the seat of the collar and the re- 
maining mane is braided to prevent its tufts 
from dangling into the wound as well as to 
keep it free from pus during the after-treat- 
ment. 
A good ablution with brisk friction of mer- 
curic chlorid in the dilution of not less than one 
part to five hundred is much the best prepara- 
tory disinfection of the skin along the line of 
incision. The field might in addition be 
painted with tincture of iodin. Shaving the 
mane hairs especially on the neck where the 
skin is folded transversely is difficult and very 
tedious as the folds are closed while the head is 
erect and as a painstaking shaving process pro- 
