ELEMENTS OF HIPPOLOaT. 59 



The operation of blood-letting is sufficiently simple and safe 

 •to warrant any horse-owner to attempt it in cases of blind stag- 

 gers or congestion of the lungs in emergencies when professional 

 skill is not available. The flow of blood from a vein is easily 

 controlled. By tying a stout cord around the base of the neck 

 tightly, the jugular veins will be compressed enough to dilate 

 them, when they are easily seen. The fleam-blade of a farrier's 

 knife is used. The point of the fleam is laid near the vein and is, 

 driven into it by a sharp blow of a stick on the back of the fleam. 

 If the vein-wall is cut, the blood will flow freely in a constant 

 stream. It should be caught and measured as it flows. From 

 two to four quarts should be drawn — never more than four — 

 depending on the size and condition of the horse. A large, fat 

 horse will stand the loss of more blood than a smaller horse in 

 thin flesh will. 



The vein can be closed by sticking a pin through the walls of 

 the vein at right angles to the cut and then winding horse-hair 

 or strong linen thread around the ends, figure of 8 fashion. 



This method of closing wounds is a very useful one to re- 

 member. A horse whose skin has been cut by barbed wire or by 

 other means can be saved an ugly blemish, if the edges of the 

 wound are at once pinned together, placing the pins an inch or 

 so apart, and then lacing horse-hair or thread around the ends 

 of the pins." 



In the jugular wound the pins should be left in only three 

 or four days. The wound in the skin can be kept open by put- 

 ting a plug of oakum or absorbent cotton in it until the pins 

 a,re withdrawn. 



Blood-letting should be resorted to, without professional as- 

 sistance, only in extreme cases — when it is evident that the 

 animal will die unless relieved. 



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