78 WOUNDS AND BEUISES. 



SYMFrOMS.— The local symptoms of an acute circumscribed 

 abscess are tenderness, swelling, heat, throbbing, and " pointing. 

 When pus has formed, the part, which was abnormally hard during 

 the formation of the abscess, will become soft to the touch, and may 

 " pit." The presence of a chronic abscess may become apparent by 

 the swelling and fluctuation of its oontenCs. 



The symptoms of an acute diffuse abscess (diffuse celtuLitis) 

 somewhat resemble those of human erysipelas. Several deep- 

 seated abscesses have formed in a horse between the fore limb and 

 chest, in the arm-pit and underneath the lower part of the shoulder 

 blade ; the cause being infection after firing the back tendons of 

 the leg. The first symptoms were pain and throbbing of the 

 tissues immediately above the abscess in course of formation, and 

 great swelling and tenderness of the leg from that part downwards. 

 In two or three days the swollen surface was doughy, that is, left 

 a mark similar to what dough would do if pressed upon with the 

 finger. But there was no pus near the siirface ; for when the skin, 

 with the object of relieving tension, was cut through with the knife 

 at various parts, the wounds, which had the appearance of yellow, 

 moist cheese, exuded only orange-coloured serum, more or less 

 mixed with blood. The swelling of the limb rapidly became 

 enormously large and very painful, until an abscess was opened, 

 when the swelling soon subsided, only to re-appear on the formation 

 of the next abscess. 



PRINCIPLES OF TIIEATMENT.— I have had admirable results in the 

 treatment, among human beings, of boils — especially, those of undoubted 

 parasitic origin in India — by the frequent (say six or seven times a day) 

 application to the part, of eucalyptus oil, which, when used early, checks 

 the formation of pus, seemingly by acting on the bacteria which accompany 

 it, with the result that instead of an abscess appearing, little or no pus 

 forms, and the part soon regains its normal condition. A valuable 

 peculiarity in eucalyptus oil is that, although it has only a slightly irritating 

 action on the skin, it has a powerfully repressive effect on bacteria. We 

 all know that a blister applied over a superficial abscess which is forming, 

 stimulates the part to healthy action. I think we may go further, and say 

 that under its influence far less. pus becomes accumulated than if the natural 

 course of the abscess had not been interfered with, or if the part had been 

 poulticed or fomented with warm water, either of which processes aid the 

 development qf pus. As the presence of pus favours the destruction of 

 tissue, and may set up blood poisoning, we should try to prevent it 

 forming ; or, if this cannot be done, we should try to remove it. Exposing 

 a tissue in which pus is forming to the action of the air (in other words, 

 prematurely opening an abscess), generally gives rise to unhealthy action 

 in the part. Referring to human surgery, Watson Cheyne (Treves' " System 

 of Surgery ") advises : " When once it is certain or probable that pus is 

 present, means must be taken to open the abscess without further delay, 

 and to provide a free exit for the pus. There is no object whatever m 

 permitting an acute abscess to go on till it reaches the skin. To do so is 

 simply to allow the formation of a much larger cavity, and the consequent 

 destruction or interference with the tissues in the neighbourhood ; and if 



