488 VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



of it, is always thereby preserved to the patient and the 

 blemish is always less conspicuous. 



4. In the Anterior Surface of the Fore Arm. — This 

 wound is sustained by headlong contact with a low fence, 

 usually one having, its uppermost wire broken. The 

 wound, as to character, varies from a "cutaneous laceration 

 of variable extent to a serious mutilation that severs the 

 continuity of the anterior antibrachial group of muscles. 

 The seriousness depends largely upon the extent of the 

 muscular injury. Often extension is permanently impaired 

 and the impediment is manifested by frequent stumbling. 



TREATMENT. — When only the skin is involved, or 

 when the muscular injury is slight, reparative treatment is 

 in -order. The wound is disinfected, its surrounding 

 shaved and the flap sutured with button and interrupted su- 

 tures, and drainage is provided. On the other hand, the 

 wound invading the muscles extensively had better be left 

 to the open wound treatment recommended for the first 

 variety described, on account of the tendency of secretion 

 gravitating downwards amongst the muscles and tendons 

 of the region. The patient should be kept exceptionally 

 quiet, and if the wound permits the' immobilizing brace 

 (Fig. 258) may be helpful. 



Penetrant Abdominal Wounds. 



( EVENTRATION. ) 



This accident is caused by violent contact with pointed 

 objects, such as shafts of vehicles, protruding, broken fence 

 boards, horns of cattle, etc. These objects usually strike 

 the body at an angle, penetrate the surface at one place and 

 then pass obliquely through the abdominal muscles for some 

 distance before perforating the peritoneal cavity. The 

 wound thus inflicted is an elongated, mutilated laceration of 

 the muscles and internal inguments, with but a small cuta- 

 neous breach. The opening into the peritoneal cavity, on 

 the contrary, is of considerable size, and usually allows the 

 viscera to fall into the traumatic cavity, where they may be 

 retained by the narrowness of the entrance orifice. At 

 other times, when the tract is short and quite direct through 

 the wall, they may prolapse externally, gravitating more 

 and more until parts of them trail the ground. 



The seriousness of this accident depends upon the ex- 

 tent of the visceral injury sustained, either directly by the 



