SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 297 



or the cavity of a joint may be invaded and very serious, if not fatal, 

 consequences supervene. 



The danger is especially marked when the injury is inflicted on 

 parts liable to frequent and extensive motion, but all cases of punc- 

 tured wounds should receive unusual care, as no judgment can be 

 accurately formed from the external appearance of the wound. While 

 a probe can ascertain the depth, it throws but little light on the 

 extent or exact nature of the internal injury. For this reason all 

 punctured wounds should invariably be carefully searched by means 

 of a probe or some substitute devised for the occasion, such as 

 a piece of wire with a smooth blunt end, or a piece of hard wood 

 shaped for the purpose. Stitching is not admissible in the case of 

 punctured wounds. 



If a punctured wound is not very deep, and when the bruising and 

 laceration are slight, it is possible for healing to take place by adhe- 

 sion, and this should always be encouraged, as the process of repair 

 by this method is far superior to that by granulation, which will be 

 referred to later. With this object in view, the animal should be kept 

 as quiet as possible. A dose of physic, such as a pound of Glauber's 

 or Epsom salts, should be administered, and warm fomentations or 

 poultices, when this is practicable, applied, the surface of the wound 

 being dressed twice a day with the ordinary white lotion, which is 

 made as follows: 



Acetate of lead ___otmce_- 1 



Sulphate of zinc . . __ drams. _ 6 



Water quart.. 1 



The lead and zinc should be put in a quart bottle with a pint of rain 

 water and well shaken, when the balance of the water may be added. 



In wounds of this description the process of repair may be complicated 

 by the appearance of exuberant granulations, popularly known as 

 "proud flesh" or "dead flesh," but really an overgrowth of new tis- 

 sue — granulation tissue; but these should not be interfered with 

 unless they should continue after the acute stage of inflammation has 

 been subdued. If, after this, they persist, they may be treated with a 

 solution of sulphate of copper (bluestone) or nitrate of silver (lunar 

 caustic) and water. Irritation, caused by an overinterference with 

 the process of repair, and injudicious bandaging ar» potent factors in 

 bringing about this condition, and the discontinuance of either or both 

 will often leave no necessity for special treatment. 



Contused or lacerated wounds. — These are usually caused by 

 a blow with some blunt instrument, by the breaking of the flooring, or 

 when an animal gets one of its limbs through or over the partition 

 between the stalls. The seriousness depends largely on the depth of 

 the injury, and treatment should be directed to allaying the inflamma- 

 tion and preventing the consequent tendency to sloughing. To this 



