WOUNDS AND THEIB TREATMENT. 489 



out inducing a fatal result. The edges of the wound are ragged and 

 tineven. These wounds are produced by barbed wire or some blunt 

 object, as when a horse runs against fences, board piles, the corners 

 of buildings, or when he is struck by the pole or shafts of another 

 team, falling on rough, irregular stones, etc. 



Contused wounds are caused by blunt instruments moving with 

 sufficient velocity to bruise and crush the tissues, as kicks, running 

 against objects, or falling on large, hard masses. 



Treatment. — In lacerated wounds great care must at first be exer- 

 cised in examining or probing to the very bottom of the rent or tear, 

 to see whether any foreign body is present. Very often splinters of 

 wood or bits of stone or dirt are thus lodged, and unless removed pre- 

 vent the wound from healing; or if it should heal, the wound soon 

 opens again, discharging a thin, gluey matter that is characteristic 

 of the presence of some object in the part. After a thorough explora- 

 tion these wounds are to be carefully and patiently fomented with 

 warm water, to which has been added carbolic acid in the proportion 

 of 1 part to 100 of water. Rarely, if ever, are stitches to be inserted 

 in lacerated wounds. The surrounding tissues and skin are so weak- 

 ened in vitality and structure by the contusions that stitches will not 

 hold; they only irritate the parts. It is better to endeavor to obtain 

 coaptation by means of bandages, plasters, or collodion. One essen- 

 tial in the treatment of lacerated wounds is to provide a free exit for 

 the pus. If the orifice of the wound is too high, or if pus is found to 

 be burrowing in the tissues beneath the opening, we must then make 

 a counter opening as low as possible. This will admit of the wound 

 being thoroughly washed out, at first with warm water, and after- 

 wards injected with some mild astringent and antiseptic wash, as 

 chlorid of zinc, 1 dram to a pint of water. A dependent opening 

 must be maintained until the wound ceases to discharge. Repeated 

 hot fomentations over the region of lacerated wounds afford much 

 relief and should be persisted in. 



BRUISES. 



Bruises are nothing but contused wounds where the skin has not 

 been ruptured. There is often considerable solution of continuity 

 of the parts under the skin, subcutaneous hemorrhage, etc., which 

 may result in local death (mortification) and slough of the bruised 

 parts. If the bruise or contusion is not so severe, many cases are 

 quickly cured by constant fomentation with hot water for from two 

 to four hours. The water should be allowed about this time to become 

 cool gradually and then cold. Cold fomentation must then be kept 

 up for another hour or two. The parts should be thoroughly and 

 quickly dried and bathed freely with camphor 1 ounce, sweet oil 

 8 ounces, or with equal parts of lead water and laudanum. A dry, 



