6 THE CANADIAN HORSE 



and the inflammation becomes accompanied by pain and 

 throbbing, heat must be substituted. Hot fomentation and 

 poultices soften and relax the tissues, thus opening the pores, 

 and encouraging the formation of matter, which, when 

 matured, must be opened and allowed to escape. When, as 

 in sprain of the tendons, instead of going on to suppuration, 

 the swelling becomes callous, the inflammatory action sub- 

 sides, leaving the efl'usion unabsorbed. In this stage, and 

 only when heat and tenderness are gone, should blisters be 

 applied. The severity of the counter-irritant must be regu- 

 lated by the site, condition, and nature of the inflammation. 



The remedies which are used to arrest the inflammatory 

 process are called Antiphlogistics, the most important of 

 which are b lood^tting, purgatives, sedatives, and diureti cs. 

 Blood-letting, which has now come almost into disuse,, was 

 at one time looked upon as the sheet-anchor in the treat - 

 men t of inflammation. Without entering into any discus- 

 sion of ttie subjectTwe will simply remark that, though from 

 the abuse which was made of this operation, by being 

 employed unnecessarily, when milder and more simple 

 measures might do, frequently'producing injurious results, it 

 has justly been dispensed with ; yet we are convinced, that 

 to abandon the practice entirely vrould b e depriving our- 

 selves of a valuabl e reme dy in checking inflammation. 



We will meet with case s in which ble eding will be fouqd 

 very useful , not only in checking the inflammatory process, 

 but in prom otino: the absorption of medicinal agents. At 

 the same time, we are convinced that, in the majority of 

 cases in w hich it is practised, it is useless, and often in - 

 jurious, pros trating the patient already reduced by disease. 

 When bleeding is resorted to, it must be speedily extracted 

 from a lar^e orifice, t o make any impression onthe system ; 

 and the quantity must be regulated by the effect on the 



