Treatment. 383 



destruction of tissue in these cases becomes very extensive; 

 ^nd there is increased danger of breaking on the inside, when 

 healing will require longer time. 



The abscess cavities should always be opened with a long 

 incision. If the opening is too small it should be enlarged after 

 the partial evacuation of the pus, and subsequently the cavity 

 should be thoroughly cleansed with a disinfectant (boracic 

 acid, carbolic acid, creolin, Burow's solution), whereupon the 

 wound should be treated in accordance with the requirements 

 of surgery. After evacuation of the pus the condition of the 

 patient improves iminediately ; the temperature drops to nor- 

 mal inside of 12 to 24 hours, the quantity of indican in the 

 urine is diminished, the swelling of the abscess reduces rapidly, 

 rendering the movements of the head and mastication easier. 



If the swelling persists after the opening of the abscess or 

 should it even increase and at the same time the body tem- 

 perature continue to remain high, it is an indication of the 

 presence or development of other abscesses in the vicinity of 

 the one which has been opened. In such cases the separating 

 wall may successfully be broken by the finger introduced into 

 the open abscess cavity, whereby a passage into the open cavity 

 is provided for the pus; in other cases the abscesses must be 

 opened individually. 



If the pharyngeal region is affected, the necessity for feed- 

 ing the animals with easily swallowed food" (gruels, sloppy 

 food) becomes still more imperative. At the same time the 

 existing pharyngitis requires special treatment, for which the 

 administration of potassium chlorate (8-10 g. to a pail of 

 water), or the application of Priesznitz's poultices is appro- 

 priate. The opening of the superficial abscesses causes no 

 difficulties; if however abscess formations are present in the 

 deeper parts, between the parotid glands and the lower jaw, or 

 in the retropharyngeal tissue, their opening requires special 

 care. These abscesses should be- opened as early as possible 

 on account of the threatening danger from asphyxiation. On 

 account of the nerves and blood vessels lying in these parts, 

 which may be displaced from their normal position, it is advis- 

 able only to split the skin with a knife at the most prominent 

 place of the swelling, and then to spread apart the nerves and" 

 vessels by boring movements with the index finger, and if possi- 

 ble by this means to pierce the wall of the abscess cavity. In 

 this way not only subparotid, but also retropharyngeal ab- 

 scesses may be opened. Sometimes this procedure may not im- 

 mediately lead to results, but in the course of 1 to 2 days the 

 pus penetrates without aid in the direction of the canal which has 

 been bored as this constitutes the place of least resistance, and 

 therefore ultimately it breaks through at this point. 



For the local treatment of the raucous membrane Kagel introduces a thick- 

 walled rubber tube 60 cm. long in cases of pharyngitis through the nose into the 

 pharyngeal cavity, and injects a disinfecting fluid (0.5% salt solution, 1:1000 sub- 

 limate, or 0.3% of a potassium permanganate solution). Friek employs for this 



