PREVENTION, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 383 



may be treated by boiling in water, or by soaking in a solution of 

 corrosive sublimate (1-500), or carbolic acid (1-20), for twelve 

 hours. Harness is disinfected by washing with soap and water, and 

 then with a 2 per cent, crude carbolic acid or creolin, or 1-1000 cor- 

 rosive solution. Valueless articles are given to the flames. Stable 

 and metallic instruments and fixtures are to be freed from dirt, 

 scrubbed with soap and hot water, drenched with boiling water, and 

 then with a 5 per cent, crude carbolic acid or creolin solution. 



Gaseous disinfection is now in order to kill microorganisms in 

 remote and inaccessible places. Live steam is the most efficient 

 means at our disposal for this purpose, when a suitable apparatus for 

 its application to woodwork, haymows, etc., is obtainable. In place 

 of this we may resort to formaldehyde, chlorine or sulphurous acid 

 gas. The walls are finally painted or covered with whitewash con- 

 taining 5 per cent, of crude carbolic acid. Healthy animals, which 

 have not been exposed to infection, may now be allowed to return to 

 their disinfected quarters. 



Venesection. 



Venesection, or blood-letting, formerly abused, has, for that 

 reason, fallen into almost complete disuse. This is unfortunate, 

 since blood-letting is a valuable and often life-saving measure. The 

 indications for venesection are chiefly limited to conditions as- 

 sociated with a general high arterial pressure and local engorgement 

 of some organ. 



In such cases venesection very rapidly reduces general blood- 

 tension to a point lower than existing in the engorged region, so 

 that congestion is relieved. A full, incompressible pulse is said to 

 indicate the desirability of venesection in severe acute disorders — 

 in accordance with the above— but this is not by any means invari- 

 ably the fact, as will be shown. 



Venesection leads to a reduction of temperature, and vascular 

 tension is lowered for from 3 to 48 hours, according to the quantity 



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