80 WOUNDS AND BRUISES. 



generally be advisable to stimulate it by a biniodide of mercury 

 blister applied to the skin of the part. 



As a rule, when opening an abscess, it is well to use a Symes' 

 abscess knife, which has a fine, sharp point, and curved blade. 

 This knife should be held firmly between the forefinger and thumb 

 at, say, three-quarters of a,n inch from its point. The animal 

 being secured, the point of the knife is driven, into the selected 

 part, and the out made. If, after doing this, the contents oi^ the 

 abscess do not come out, give them vent by inserting the fore- 

 finger or probe into the wound and trying by its means to give a 

 passage to the imprisoned fluid. Either an ear-syringe or Read's 

 clyster pump, fitted with a thin nozzle, will generally be useful for 

 washing out the cavity with an antiseptic solution. 



Contusions and Bruises. 



A contusion is an injury, due to external violence, of parts 

 beneath the skin, without division of the skin. It may be looked 

 upon as a subcutaneous wound. A bruise, which is a somewhat 

 vague term, may be regarded as a superficial contusion. 



For practical purposes contusions may be divided into two 

 kinds : (1) those in which there is effusion beneath the skin, with- 

 out marked injury to the parts beneath it; and (2) those in 

 which the tissues below the skin are more or less severely hurt. 

 In a contusion there will always be rupture of at least some of the 

 smaller blood-vessels. Hence the effusion or swelling will consist 

 of blood as well as of serimi. The usual causes of contusions are 

 blows and unequally distributed and prolonged pressure. 



In repair of a contusion -there may be absorption of the effusion, 

 the formation of adhesions, and the formation of pus, either simply 

 or combined. In all cases of contusions, hand-rubbing (p. 675) and 

 evenly distributed pressure, as, for instance, with cotton wadding 

 (p. 44), act well. In mild cases, trust to stimulating the super- 

 ficial circulation to remove the effusion, by rubbing into the part 

 with the hand a small quantity of spirits, such as brandy or 

 whisky. Should such simple means be unavailing to prevent 

 the formation of pus, it will be well to check the process as far 

 as possible by the application of an ajitiseptic, an admirable 

 example for this purpose being eucalyptus oil. Turpentine will 

 act probably as well ; but it produces a severer effect on the skin. 

 The well-known action which counter-irritants, such as biniodide 

 of mercury in the form of ointment, have in aborting or in staying 

 the progress of abscesses, is probably due more to their antiseptic 

 irfluercp than to their effect in stimulating the circulation. It is 



