LANCING 9l 



Hydrochloric Acid. — Among the caustic mineral acids 

 hydrochloric is the most appropriate. It is often applied to 

 nail wounds of the foot by farriers, and generally with very 

 good results. If brought 'into every part of the wound it ef- 

 fects an instantaneous disinfection and at the same time 

 clothes the breach with an impervious scar against subse- 

 quent infection. 



Lancing. 



DEFINITION.--The word "lancing" in surgery may 

 be defined as the more or less sudden thrust of a knife into a 

 cavity with the object of evacuating its contents. It must be 

 distinguished from "incision," which is a more deliberate cut- 

 ting process, and from "paracentesis," which is performed 

 with a rounded instrument. 



INDICATIONS. — Lancing is indicated in the evacuation 

 of abscesses, hygromata, cysts, sanguineous sacs, and serous 

 sacs which occupy superficial positions, but only in regions 

 where there is no danger of accidentally wounding important 

 structures, such as large vessels, ducts, nerve trunks, and' 

 synovial membranes. In fact- and in short, the lance should 

 be used only to perforate the skin. Deep cavities, especially 

 when the physiognomy of the region is changed by swelling 

 and the anatomical relations are probably altered and easily 

 misjudged, should not be submitted to this "reckless" surgi- 

 cal process. Senn admonished his students to "beware of 

 the lance," and recommended that its use be discontinued 

 except for strictly superficial lesions whose nature has been 

 positively established, and even here the more calculating 

 methods of evacuation were advised. 



In dealing with abscesses that have developed to the stage 

 of "pointing" and in all subcutaneous fluid accumulations of 

 animals, lancing may, however, be defended as a safe and 

 suitable process of evacuation. It provokes less opposition 

 from the patienf than the making of a painstaking incision, 

 since the pain is limited to a single pang that is scarcely felt. 



RESTRAINT.— The necessity of providing preopera- 

 tive restraint is herewith emphasized on account of the es- 

 pecial danger of sustaining personal injury, if not also to ren- 

 der the aim and thrust of the lance more accurate. The 

 thrust of the lance very frequently provokes an unexpected, 

 sudden blow from an apparently tractable patient. In lanc- 

 ing about the jaws, neck, shoulders, the twitch applied to the 

 nose is sufficient. On the fore legs, in addition to the twitch 

 the affected leg should be lifted by an assistant. It is dan- 



