ACCIDENTS AND OPERATIONS. 359 



usually so dangerous as in human beings, are nevertheless 

 serious, as an amount of violent inflammatory fever follows 

 either injury. I recollect a bull-terrier, belonging to a brewer, 

 being fearfully scalded in the following manner. The animal 

 had the same morning killed a rat in an empty mash-tub, and 

 was afterwards chained up. On the arrival of his master he 

 was as usual released, when he immediately sped to the scene 

 of his morning's exploit, and leapt, in his " excitement not 

 seeing the danger, into the tub, which then contained boiling 

 water. The poor brute was extricated as quickly as possible, 

 but with every vestige of hair removed from his body, and 

 totally blind ; not a whimper, however, escaped him. It is 

 needless to add that, on the score of humanity, his sufferings 

 were terminated with prussic acid, though not without some 

 difficulty, as his savage propensities still remained, even after 

 such a fearful ordeal. 



The treatment of either burns or scalds consists in keeping 

 down, as much as possible, inflammatory action locally, and 

 sympathetic fever. Air should be immediately excluded from 

 the part, the latter first being dressed with linseed oil and 

 lime-water — three ounces of the latter to six of the former 

 shaken together — and then covered over with cotton-wool. 



When sloughing commences, poultices and warm fomen- 

 tations are indicated. The bowels should be kept relaxed 

 throughout, and perfect quietude with cleanliness observed. 

 By the latter I mean no foreign matters beyond the dressing 

 should be allowed to come in contact with the wound. Bits 

 of hay and straw, or the animal's hair, act as irritants and do 

 the animal considerable mischief. During the sloughing and 

 granulating stage, tonics and nutritious food are requisite. 

 When the wound assumes a sluggish and unhealthy character, 

 the application of a stimulus to its surface is required. 



Blemishes must be expected to follow either a burn or 

 scald, but in long-haired dogs these are to a great extent 

 covered. 



