WOUNDS OF THE ABDOMEN. 
253 
used to assist dispersal. Disinfectants, conjoined with the othei appli¬ 
cations, will check infection and pus formation. Where this has already 
occurred, early opening is advisable ; indeed, the sooner this is done the 
sooner will the swelling disappear, but care must be exercised in diagnosis. 
Owing to the strains thrown on the abdominal muscles in working animals 
the parts are more liable to tear and produce hernise, and tlieiefoie lest 
is essential in such cases. “ Cold ” or chronic abscesses are best opened 
as soon as it is clear that no hernia is present, and that incision can be 
made without fear of severe bleeding. 
II.—WOUNDS OF THE ABDOMEN. 
Wounds of the abdominal parietes may, from a clinical standpoint, be 
thus divided :— 
(a) Surface wounds ; those that do not divide the abdominal walls. 
(b) Penetrating wounds, dividing the parietal portion of the peri¬ 
toneum. 
(c) Abdominal wounds, with prolapse of internal organs. 
(d) Abdominal wounds, with injury to internal organs. 
(a) Surface wounds, if not of great extent, and not likely to be followed 
by further laceration of the abdominal walls, merely require to be kept 
clean, and are treated on antiseptic principles. A tar plaster is some¬ 
times useful. Bandages are difficult to retain in position, and can 
generally be dispensed with. Clean straw must be provided for bedding. 
Where the wound discharges freely, it is dressed with disinfecting fluids. 
Such wounds generally heal well if freely dressed with iodofoim-tannin 
or glutol. If pus burrows, counter-openings, drains, or setons are resorted 
to. Where the walls are extensively lacerated, and further laceration is 
possible, the wound should be carefully sutured, and suppoited with a 
bandage. Strong and deeply-inserted stitches are required, pm sutures 
may be necessary, and thorough rest should be enforced. Burrowing of 
pus sometimes occurs between the abdominal muscles. This condition 
is treated in the same way as sinus-formation in the thoracic legion. 
(b) Penetrating wounds are usually caused by thrusts with the horns, 
by sharp instruments like stable-forks, lances, bayonets, knives, 01 
scissors, by gun-shots, by injuries from leaping over hedges or fences, 
or by falling on sharp objects, as harrows, spurs, &c. Ihe bites, of 
dogs may also penetrate the peritoneal cavity. Ihe peifoiating 
character of the wound can sometimes be determined from the appear¬ 
ance of the body producing the wound. The probe should not at once 
be used, as there is risk of its conveying infectious material into the 
peritoneal cavity. Besides, its value for diagnosis in such cases is small, 
owing to the layers of muscle being often displaced, and thus occluding 
