DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
371 
death rate. Chemical perfumes of varied kinds will never dis¬ 
place soap and hot water judiciously applied in surgery.— 
(.Edwin Ricketts , International Journal oJSurgeryi) 
Dr. A. J. Ochsner , Surgeon-in-chief to the Augustena Hos¬ 
pital and St.,Mary’s Hospital; Professor of clinical surgery in the 
College of Physicians and Surgeons, Chicago Ill. ; and chairman 
of Section on Surgery and Anatomy, American Medical Associ¬ 
ation, 1900-1901, in a clinical lecture published in the Clinical 
Review , refers with special emphasis to the importance of rest 
and moist antiseptic dressings in the treatment of infected 
wounds of the extremities, which we consider equally applicable 
to wounds on the legs of domestic animals. 
Wounds of the extremities , such as wire cuts, nail-pricks, 
punctures and bruises, often cause severe infection of the por¬ 
tion of the leg between the’ wound and the body. The septic 
material conveyed from the seat of infection to the lymphatic 
glands by the lymphatic vessels is scattered while on its course 
to the glands and infects the structures that surround vessels. 
At the lymphatic glands septic organisms are arrested and proba¬ 
bly attenuated, and when the glands are overtaxed they suppu¬ 
rate and break open by way of least resistance. The lymphatic 
glands are organs which are intrusted with a function to pro¬ 
tect the animal organism against infection and intoxication. 
The histological and anatomical structure of lymphatic vessels 
is much the same as veins, and the lymph that accumulates in 
the periphery is propelled to and from the lymphatic glands by 
muscular activity. This fact in itself is an important factor in 
the treatment of wounds of the extremities. If a patient acci¬ 
dentally receives an injury to the foot or leg which cannot be 
made aseptic to a certainty, it should be “laid up”; absolute 
rest is absolutely necessary in the treatment of doubtful wounds 
of the extremities in order to prevent the extension of inflam¬ 
mation. The next important point in the treatment of these 
injuries is the application of a large, moist antiseptic dressing, 
consisting of oakum or absorbent cotton rolled with a good 
strong bandage and a rubber cloth applied around the entire 
dressing to confine the moisture to the leg, Fresh antiseptic 
solution is poured into the dressing every two or three hours in 
order to keep skin of the inflamed portion constantly in con¬ 
tact with the moisture. The dressing must be renewed on the 
second day and the extremity carefully examined for abscesses 
which may form, although most cases get well with the forma¬ 
tion of secondary abscesses. After the second day the dressing 
