WOUNDS AND THEIR TREATMENT. 



By Ch. B. Mioheneb, V. S. 



[Revised in 1903 by John R. Mohler, V. M. D., A. M.] 



DESCRIPTION OF WOUNDS. 



A ■wound is an injury to any part of the body involving a solution, 

 of continuity or disruption of the affected parts and is caused by 

 violence, with or without laceration of the skin. In accordance with 

 this definition we have the following varieties of wounds: Incised, 

 punctured, contused, lacerated, gunshot, and poisoned. They may 

 further be classified as superficial, deep, or penetrating, and also as 

 unclean, if hair, dirt, or splinters of wood are present; as infected, 

 when contaminated with germs; and as aseptic, if the wound does not 

 contain germs. 



An incised wound is a simple cut made with a sharp body, like a 

 knife, producing merely a division of the tissues. The duller the 

 body, the more force is required, the more tissues destroyed, and a 

 greater time will be required for healing. In a cut wound the edges 

 are even and definite, while those of a lacerated wound are irregular 

 and torn. Three conditions are present as a result of an incised 

 wound: (1) Pain, (2) hemorrhage, (3) gaping of the wound. The 

 first pain is due to the crushing and tearing of the nerve fibers. In 

 using a sharp knife and by cutting quickly, the animal suffers less 

 pain and healing occurs more rapidly. The secondary pain is usu- 

 ally due to the action of the air and inflammatorj^ processes. When 

 air is kept from the wound pain ceases soon after the lesion is pro- 

 duced. Hemorrhage is absent only in wounds of nonvascular tissues, 

 as the cornea of the eye, the cartilage of joints, and other similar 

 structures. Bleeding may be from the arteries, veins, or capillaries. 

 In the latter form of bleeding the blood oozes from the part in drops. 

 Hemorrhage from the veins is dark red and issues in a steady stream 

 without spurting. In arterial bleeding the blood is bright red and 

 spurts with each heart beat. This latter variety of hemorrhage is 

 the most dangerous, and should be stopped at once before attempting 

 any further treatment. Bleeding from small veins and capillaries 

 ceases in a short time spontaneously, while larger vessels, especially 

 arteries, require some form of treatment to cause complete stoppage 

 of the hemorrhage. 



459 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



