DURING THE SCHOLASTIC SESSION OF 1836-7. 119 
swelled ; but there was no separation between them, and therefore 
very little air had insinuated itself into the surrounding cellular 
tissue. The tip of the horn had slightly wounded “the mucous 
membrane of the trachea immediately opposite to the wound. 
It was first thought that the wound might be closed by means 
of the suture generally used in wounds of the abdomen, and thus 
cicatrization might be produced by the first intention ; but it was 
soon perceived that the air at every expiration insinuated itself into 
the subcutaneous cellular texture, and infiltrated it, and produced a 
certain degree of emphysema. Some hours afterwards the two 
sides of the neck had acquired a considerable crepitating enlarge- 
ment, and the respiration was much disturbed ; the pulse was fre- 
quent, and the appetite ceased. We hastened to withdraw the su- 
ture, and to insert a tracheotomy tube, in order to facilitate the escape 
of the air. Some superficial incisions were made on the emphyse- 
matous parts of the neck, and reiterated pressure was made with 
both hands to force out the infiltrated air through them. The parts 
were also bathed with a warm stimulant lotion. On the following 
day the emphysema had almost entirely disappeared, or only a slight 
oedema remained around the wound. We then withdrew the tube — 
the suture was replaced, and a compress was applied and retained 
by means of a bandage, in order to prevent the passage of the air. 
Suppuration was soon established — the granulations became firm, 
and the cure was complete on the eighth day. This fact establishes 
the uncertainty attending a mere suture through the skin in wounds 
of the trachea, and the usefulness of external compression. 
A strong diligence horse was brought to our infirmary on the 
14th of last November, with a contused wound on the left side of 
the croup, at nearly an equal distance from the anterior and supe- 
rior angles of the ileum. The extent of the wound was not more 
than about two centimetres — about two-thirds of an inch ; but 
its depth, as ascertained by a sound, was forty centimetres, or 
about five inches. We removed the bandage from the wound, and 
ordered an emollient anodyne cataplasm to be applied. On the 
morrow the wound was enlarged, its borders were depressed, a 
sanious fluid was discharged from it, and it appeared to be far less 
painful. The pulse was frequent, but soft. The animal exhi- 
bited frequent depression and weakness, followed by violent spasms. 
The appetite was diminished — the abdomen was distended, and 
painful to the touch — and the bowels were constipated. We still 
more enlarged the wound, in order to ascertain its depth, and the 
sound was arrested by a bony surface. We could not, in any 
part of it, direct the sound towards the skin, in order to effect a 
counter-opening, and facilitate the escape of the suppurative mat- 
ter. The wound was then dressed with wine diluted with water, and 
