REGIONAL VETERINARY SURGERY. 
DISEASES OF THE HEAD. 
I.—DISEASES OF THE LIPS AND CHEEKS. 
(1.) WOUNDS AND BRUISES. 
In horses, wounds of the lips frequently result from bites or kicks, 
from collisions and falls on hard ground, or from entanglement with 
sharp portions of the harness, or with hooks, etc., fixed in stable racks 
and mangers. Bruises are produced in a similar manner, and by 
the severe and repeated application of the twitch. The corners of the 
mouth may be injured by thin or badly-fitting bits, especially in young 
and hard-mouthed horses, or in those suffering from brain disease, whilst 
the cheeks are sometimes lacerated by kicks, horn thrusts, and, on their 
inner surfaces, by the sharp edges of the molars. Cattle at grass 
may suffer from torn wounds produced by the oxherd’s dogs, while 
sporting dogs may be bitten by the quarry. 
The great mobility of the injured parts, and the constant soiling 
which occurs during mastication, almost always interfere with the healing 
of bruises and contused wounds. On the other hand, reparative processes 
are assisted by the richness of this region in blood-vessels and loose 
connective tissue, so that healing sometimes takes place by primary 
intention, even when wounds are extensively bruised, their edges 
already dry, and their flaps dissected from underlying tissues over 
considerable areas. Deep wounds in the corner of the mouth, where 
the mucous membrane is divided and the opening of the mouth 
lengthened, give most trouble. Perforating wounds of the cheek also 
heal with difficulty, and sometimes produce fistula. Injuries to the 
great venous plexus in the cheek occasion considerable bleeding, which, 
however, is seldom dangerous. The division of Stenson s duct often 
results in salivary fistula. Emphysema of the facial region frequently 
accompanies wounds of the cheek, but calls for no special treatment, and 
usually disappears spontaneously. Necrosis of the margins of wounds may 
