134 VETERINARY SURGICAL THERAPEUTICS. 
resolution of the inflammatory process, and allows the elimination of: 
the foreign body which may have been retained. Even when the 
phlegmatic phenomena are intense, it is better to wait for this spon~ 
taneous elimination than to make with probes and forceps attempts and. 
explorations which are always very painful and without real usefulness.. 
In small animals, wounds are often observed which were made by 
curved pricking objects (hooks of any kind) still implanted in the tis- 
sues, These objects must be removed by enlarging the opening of 
their entrance, or by pushing them through the tissues and extracting. 
them by their points. 
Some voluminous pricking bodies produce deep wounds, with bruised. 
borders, which suppurate abundantly after a few days. These lesions. 
must be treated like contused wounds. 
In exceptional cases, punctures may injure an artery and give rise to. 
abundant hemorrhage. This requires plugging and sometimes the en- 
larging of the wound for the application of a ligature on the blood— 
vessel. 
ITI. 
CONTUSED WOUNDS. 
These, very unlike in their external aspect, extent, and depth, include- 
numerous varieties, representing all the possible intermediate stages be~ 
tween simple excoriation anc the most serious traumatisms with attri- 
tion of the different tissues of a region and the bone which forms its 
base. Most of them are extensive, badly defined, with thick ischamic. 
surrounding, infiltrated with blood and threatened with slough. 
From the therapeutic point of view, we will arrange them in three- 
classes: 1. Superficial, having excoriation for type ; 2. Deep, with ische— 
miated zone of slight thickness; 3. Deed, with wide contused zone, 
bruised and doomed to have gangrene. 
Superficial contused wounds heal quickly, almost always without: 
accidents of any kind. It is sufficient to cut the hair surrounding them, 
disinfect them, and cover them with a coat of collodion or of powder of 
pulverized coal, or tannin alone or mixed with iodoform (3 to 5 parts. 
to 1.) Sometimes, though superficial, they are painful; the animals. 
try all the time to rub it or bite it; opiated ointment or cocaine vase-— 
line may be of advantage in such cases. In some regions, especially 
the legs, a strict disinfection and an antiseptic dressing will, very often, 
bring on recovery without noticeable suppuration. 
In deep contused wounds, whose inflamed zone is comparatively- 
limited, quick. cicatrization, without slough, is possible. They must be- 
carefully washed, cleaned of all foreign bodies which may be deposited. 
upon them, and purified with a disinfecting solution (corrosive subli~ 
