DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF CATTLE 441 
Symptoms. — Abscesses differ from tumors, as they fester 
and form matter, are hot and sore to handle, cause the animal 
to be feverish and in pain, and after a time come to a head 
and either break or require to be lanced. 
Treatment. — Bathe well with hot water and salt, or 
vinegar, twice a day. If very sore poultice once in a while to 
help to bring it to a head. Each time after bathing apply 
white liniment around the swelling. This also helps to bring 
it to a head. When the abscess is ready to open there is a 
soft point on it where the hair is falling off and pulls out 
easily. With a sharp penknife or lance make a cut in it large 
enough to admit the finger and clean all the matter out. 
Treat with green salve, bathing and applying white liniment 
the same as is given in the treatment of serous abscesses. 
4. Running Sore (Fistula). 
A running sore, or fistula, may form in any animal or in 
any part of the body. 
Causes. — It is usually the result of improper or neglectful 
treatment of a wound which heals over foreign matter which 
ought to have been removed before the healing took place. 
It is also caused from diseased bone, or a small piece of 
broken bone, which causes continual festering. 
Treatment. — In all cases where it has been a wound that 
is healed up and turned to a running sore, you may come to 
the conclusion that there is something at the bottom of the 
wound that is causing the trouble. If in a place at which you 
can operate without throwing the animal down, by twitching 
it, do so (this can generally be done in the horse), but if not, 
throw the patient and secure it. Insert a probe into the hole 
to see which way it goes and the depth of it. With a sharp 
knife cut a hole large enough to admit the finger, cut the hole 
to the bottom of the wound and clean out whatever there is 
in it. Treat the wound by bathing with warm water twice a 
day. After bathing each time put melted green salve up into 
the hole and apply white lotion in and around the cut. 
Continue this treatment until healed. If caused by a diseased 
or fractured bone, cut down similarly and take the piece of 
bone out. If the bone is diseased, scrape it out well with a 
hard steel spoon, and then treat the wound as before. 
