488 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 
or without an antiseptic fluid. It should continue day and night, 
and never be interrupted for more than eight hours, for germs will 
then have gained headway and will be difficult to remove. Four or 
five days of irrigation will be sufficient, for granulations will then 
have formed and pus will remain on the outside if it forms. For 
permanent irrigation the stream should be very small, or drop by 
drop, but should play over the entire surface of the wound. It is 
always better to heal an infected wound under a scab, or treat it as 
an open wound, than it is to suture it, thus favoring the growth of 
the inclosed germs and retarding ultimate healing. In the latter 
case pus may develop in the wound, form pockets by sinking into 
the tissues, and cause various complications. The pockets should be 
well drained, either through incisions at the bottom or by drainage 
tubes or setons. They should then be frequently syringed out or 
continuously irrigated. In case proud flesh appears it should be 
kept down either by pressure or by caustics, as powdered bluestone, 
silver nitrate, chlorid of antimony, or by astringents, such as burnt 
alum. If they prove resistant to this treatment they may be removed 
by scissors, the knife, or by searing with the hot iron. The following 
rules for the treatment of wounds should be followed: (1) See that 
the wound is clean, removing all foreign bodies. (2) For this pur- 
pose use a clean finger rather than a probe. (8) All hemorrhage 
should be arrested before closing the wound. (4) Antiseptics should 
only be used if you suspect the wound to be infected. (5) When 
pus is present treat without closing the wound. (6) This may be 
accomplished by drainage tubes, absorbent dressings, setons, or con- 
tinuous irrigations. (7) Protect the wound against infection while 
healing. 
LACERATED AND CONTUSED WOUNDS. 
Lacerated and contused wounds may be described together al- 
though there is, of course, this difference, that in contused. wounds 
there is no break or laceration of the skin. Lacerated wounds, how- 
ever, are, as a rule, also contused—the surrounding tissues are bruised 
to a greater or lesser extent. While at first sight such wounds may 
not appear to be as serious as incised wounds, they are commonly 
very much more so. Lacerations and contusions, when extensive, are 
always to be regarded as dangerous. Many horses die from septic 
infection or mortification as a result of these injuries. We find in 
severe contusions an infiltration of blood into the surrounding tissues; 
disorganization and mortification follow, and involve often the deeper 
seated structures. Abscesses, single or multiple, may also result and 
call for special treatment. 
In wounds that are lacerated the amount of hemorrhage is mostly 
inconsiderable; even very large blood ‘vessels may be torn apart with- 
