PROGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF THORACIC INJURIES. 227 
of the lung. After reducing this and applying an antiseptic dressing the 
parts gradually healed. 
Noguies, called to see a mare which had been “horned” by a cow, 
found a mass of prolapsed lung protruding from a thoracic wound three 
inches long. The mare was cast, the torn mass of lung ligatured, and a 
piece, weighing 20 ounces, was removed with a single sweep of the 
knife. The ligature was afterwards removed, the parts were disinfected, 
the hair was clipped away, the wound sutured, and a blister applied over 
all. Becovery occurred without complications. 
On the other hand, apparently slight wounds may prove rapidly fatal. 
This is especially true of insignificant-looking penetrating wounds, like 
those produced by manure-forks, in which danger of infection occurs 
during the first three or four days. When pus forms, if meanwhile 
no threatening symptoms have appeared, the prognosis becomes more 
favourable. 
The principles of treatment are clearly apparent, the first and most 
important being thorough antisepsis. After checking the flow of blood 
by ligaturing with sterilised material the injured vessels, the wound is 
carefully disinfected, and where healing by first intention seems possible, 
sutured. Where much discharge is to be expected, drains must be 
inserted and counter-incisions made. Over the ordinary dressings an 
air-tight bandage should be applied. For the larger animals moss 
wadding is suitable, but where this is not obtainable a straw mod, 01 a 
cloth folded several times, can be substituted, and the compress kept in 
place with a roller. In small animals, as in man, bandages aie usually 
serviceable, but must be renewed immediately they become moist with 
discharges. 
Where proper dressings cannot be improvised, arrangements may be 
made for continuous irrigation with disinfectants ; but if penetrating 
wounds exist, care must be taken that fluid and air do not entei the 
pleural sac. Sometimes both the dry and moist methods are associated 
or alternated by allowing disinfecting fluids to pass through the dressing 
and wound, from whence they are suitably drained. Such irrigation, 
or frequent moistening with antiseptic solutions, is useful. Blessings 
must be changed as soon as soaked with discharge, or where high 
fever has set in. Little can be done in combating pneumothorax ; and in 
haemothorax the blood, being already clotted, is difficult to remove. In 
septic pleuritis in horses and carnivora the thorax is sometimes rinsed 
out with 1 part of corrosive sublimate to 3,000 of water ; foi luminants, a 
solution of 1 in 700 of boric acid, or a lotion of alum. acet. of similai 
strength may be used. But such treatment is seldom effectual. 
Weisner, experimenting on two horses with 1 per cent, solution of 
salicylic acid, was not successful. 
Q 2 
