322 



Diseases of Sheep, 



away all dirt, splinters, or foreign substances with a sponge and 

 warm water. Where the wound is not extensive, a simple bandage 

 of old linen, carefully and rather tightly wrapped round the limb, 

 will make the incision heal by the first intention. Should the 

 injury be occasioned by a splinter or thorn it must of course be 

 carefully extracted before the wound is closed, and, if any contu- 

 sion has attended the accident, bran poultices will form the most 

 useful applications. In the case of simple cuts, tincture of myrrh 

 or friar's balsam will stay the effusion of blood and promote the 

 healing, and, what is of great consequence in warm weather, keep 

 the flies from irritating the wound; but, should any considerable 

 vessel be opened, it will be necessary to take it up by passing a 

 thread underneath it, and tying it tightly. The ligature should 

 generally be made of waxed silk. It may occur that a small 

 artery is lacerated, and in some place where it is difficult to pass 

 a ligature round it; in such cases, if the artery (provided it is not 

 large) is fairly and completely divided by a penknife, or lancet, the 

 wounded extremities will generally retract by their muscular 

 action, and, being covered and pressed by the surrounding inte- 

 guments, the blood will soon cease to flow. 



This seems a proper place for explaining, for the benefit of such 

 of my readers as are as deficient in scientific knowledge as myself, 

 the ordinary stages in the sanatory progress of wounds. Where 

 they are produced by a clean and simple cut, without contusion, 

 they will heal by the first intention, as surgeons technically call 

 it; that is, the separated parts will unite by inflammatory action, 

 if the sides of the Avound are drawn together either by stitches or 

 by adhesive plaster. If, however, either by contusion or by other 

 causes, a considerable portion of the integument happens to be 

 destroyed, the inflammatory action, which is always the first and 

 immediate effect of a wound, will produce a sore of greater or less 

 extent and depth in proportion to the injury that has occurred. 

 This sore suppurates or discharges a fluid matter At first this 

 matter is acrid and thin, of a light whitish colour, and sometimes 

 having a greenish tinge ; but, if the sore progresses favourably, the 

 fluid becomes more yellow and thicker. It is followed by granu- 

 lations, or little risings of flesh of a bright red, the edges of the 

 sore are perceptibly diminished, and the florid granulations fill 

 up the space left by the destruction of the integuments, the centre 

 of the sore being always the last to heal. It often happens, how- 

 ever, that either from a sickly constitution, or from the accidental 

 introduction of dirt or foreign substances at the time the wound 

 was received, the healing process is interrupted. Sometimes the 

 granulations have a livid instead of a florid hue, and appear puffy, 

 such as is commonly known by the name o( proud-flesh. In such 

 cases a gentle application of caustic will remove the fungus cha- 



