298 PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 



regularity of the penetrating body, with the sensitiveness 

 of the wounded animal and with the region affected. Gen- 

 erally it is so slight as to totally escape notice. The hasm- 

 orrhage is also insignificant. It is often rendered impossible 

 by the smallness of the cutaneous orifice, which is concealed 

 by the hair. When the penetrating body is aseptic or clean, 

 and is not left in the wound, there will be no appreciable 

 sign of the accident, but if the puncture is infected the phys- 

 iognomy of the lesion will be quite different, and disorders 

 of exceptional seriousness will supervene, if important or- 

 gans are affected. Bones, tendons, aponeuroses, and serous 

 membranes punctured, may be injured to such an extent 

 as to endanger the subject's life. A street nail penetration 

 may prove grave by terminating in suppurative arthritis or 

 tetanus. The' condition is less alarming when the infected 

 body is implanted in the connective layers, subcutem or 

 muscles. In this event, if gaseous gangrene does not result, 

 an infectiovis nodule is created and an abscess formed. The 

 region becomes swollen, hot, painful, edematous and gradual- 

 ly fluctuating. The pus evacuating brings with it the remains 

 of the foreign body left in the tissue, and the morbid process 

 comes to an end. It is now and then necessary to make an 

 incision to facilitate the evacuation of the foreign body. 



Melany reports the case of a horse in whose shoulder 

 a rivet head was lodged' as the consecjuence of a boiler ex- 

 plosion. At first the accident passed unnoticed, but subse- 

 quently developed into a fistula, which, when opened, was 

 promptly cured. 



TREATMENT. — In simple cases, punctures are of little 

 consequence. The anatomical elements are more separated 

 than destroyed, and the wound has the physiognomy of a 

 small cut, and if not infected it is repaired as such. When 

 an aseptic penetrating instrument has opened a serous mem- 

 brane, the opening must be quickly obturated. To probe 



