INFLAMMATION 67 



exudate into the previously emptied tissues. In kneading 

 the parts, rub the parts ciTcularly with the pulps of the 

 fingers, or, in the larger animals, with the closed fist. 

 Massage by percussion is effected by tapping the surface 

 over the diseased parts with the finger tips, the palm of the 

 hand, or, in the larger animals, with a light wooden mallet. 



What class of drugs is employed in the treatment of chronic 

 inflammation ? 



Those generally known as counter-irritants. 

 Narne the counter-irritants of special value generally employed. 



Such vesicants as cantharides and red iodide of mercury 

 and the actual cautery. 



Sow do counter-irritants influence chronic inflammatory 

 processes ? 

 This question is by no means settled. Some claim that 

 the irritant applied to the skin reflexly influences the blood 

 vessels of the inflamed part, causing the blood to leave, so to 

 speak, the deeper and affected parts and to accumulate in the 

 artificially inflamed skin. The latest theory — and a rather 

 improbable one — is that the chronic inflammation has been 

 changed into an acute one. It is stated that the irritant 

 causes the most deeply situated blood vessels of the chronic- 

 ally inflamed area to dilate, followed by exudation of serum 

 and emigration of the white blood cells. Out of these white 

 blood cells certain ferments are formed which digest the 

 albuminous constituents of the chronically inflamed part, 

 with formation of an albumose liquefaction and subsequent 

 absorption of the more solid inflammatory products. It 

 seems to me that the action of vesicants and the actual 

 cautery lies mainly in these facts : first, they cause decided 

 pain, which induces the animal to rest the part exposed to the- 



