156 
M. BUJSIKKR. 
commencing just above the knee ; tie a piece of rope through 
the bandages, and tie it around the neck, in order to help 
support the dressing. Feed the animal on soft food and keep 
him standing for a week or more. 
There are three indications for removing the dressing, as 
follows: first, when secondary hemorrhage takes place; 
second, when the operation has not been done antiseptically, 
and third, when your curiosity becomes unendurable. In all 
these cases, the second dressing must be as minutely performed 
as the first. If, on the second day after the operation, the 
temperature reaches 104°, and stays there for a few hours, it 
would be well to remove the dressing and examine the 
wound, and if much inflammation be present, open treatment 
would be called for. The third cause is the most frequent, 
and it is almost impossible when first commencing this treat¬ 
ment, to let the dressing alone ; it requires considerable moral 
courage , therefore this word of caution upon removing the 
dressing. At the end of three weeks, if the operation has been 
antiseptically performed, you will find that the gauze will be 
moist and discolored, about two tablespoonfuls of transparent 
gelatinous discharge will be found adhering to the silk, and 
the dressing will smell as sweet as new mown hay ; no trace 
of catgut will be found, and the wound a picture of joy. 
One last word, gentlemen, and I have done : If you carry 
out this system of surgery you will achieve some glorious 
results ; you will think after many successes that all these de¬ 
tails are not necessary, you will perhaps be careless, and fail¬ 
ures will result.. Don’t forget that all the results you obtain, 
whether successful or otherwise, depend entirely upon the 
care and attention given to details. 
A CALL TO DUTY. 
By M. Bunker, D.V.S. 
(A Paper read before the Massachusetts Veterinary Society.) 
A number of years ago, when the study of veterinary sci¬ 
ence was in its very infancy in this country, in fact, I might 
almost say before it was born, a number of practitioners of this 
