WOUNDS AND THEIR TREATMENT. 489 
out inducing a fatal result. The edges of the wound are ragged and 
uneven. 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, 
