146 
A CASE OF CONSECUTIVE ABSCESS. 
dressed with the ung. lyttse. A mild aperient was administered, 
and fomentations ordered incessantly. 
Wednesday 28/A.—The swelling is increased—pulse 60—the 
bowels have been acted upon—the urine is regularly voided; the 
appetite, heat, respiration. See. as on the previous day. Repeat 
the bleeding, and continue the fomentation; dress the seton with 
the ung. tereb. com. 
Thursday ^th. —The swelling still increasing—pulse 64 ; the 
appetite much diminished. The respirations have become accele¬ 
rated and the fmces are voided in the usual quantity, but firmer in 
consistence. The distribution of heat is still uniform, and the 
mucous membranes but little injected. The seton has discharged 
some purulent matter. Give an aperient; repeat the ung. tereb. to 
the seton, and continue the fomentation. 
Friday 30^A.—^The swelling is now enormously large, and, on 
pressure by the hand on the extensor metacarpi magnus et pedis 
muscles, at the supero-anterior part of the radius, fluctuation can be 
distinctly felt. Abscesses about the size of farcy-buds are formed 
in the cellular tissue subjacent to the skin on the obliquus externus 
abdominis muscle. My patient now sunk into a very languid 
state ; the energies and vital resistance of the system were greatly 
impaired. The head was depressed—the circulation weak and 
rapid—the appetite still more impaired—and the breathing labori¬ 
ous at intervals. An incision about an inch in depth was made 
with an abscess-lancet into the part where fluctuation was felt: more 
than half a pint of purulent fluid of a greyish colour, with small 
minute coagula of blood, escaped. The postero-internal part of the 
arm was scarified, from which there flowed an adhesive albuminous 
fluid. The terebinthinated compound was applied to the seton, 
and the fomentation continued. 
Saturday —The swelling is somewhat reduced—the pulse 
still increasing in frequency, and approaching 80—total loss of appe¬ 
tite—stupor—the head frequently depressed, and forced against 
the wall—the breathing laboured at intervals. Small abscesses 
continue to form in the cellular tissues. The evacuations have 
ceased, and neither faeces nor urine having been voided during the 
day. A vast quantity of greyish matter with minute coagula of 
blood has escaped from the abscess, which had been punctured on 
the previous day. An aperient was again administered. The 
seton was kept discharging by the ung. tereb., and the fomentation 
continued. 
Sunday, Sept. —^The symptoms which presented themselves 
were those of the most alarming nature. The animal was deli¬ 
rious, and epileptic fits came on at intervals. The pulse above 100 
—pupil dilated—nostrils expanded—breathing laborious—grind- 
