DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
365 
s semoirhage is arrested the wound should 
be relieved of all the lacerated tissues that are likely to never 
be reorganized. The hair surrounding the wound should be 
carefully clipped, and the surrounding skin thoroughly 
cleansed. The wound thus prepared may now be explored and 
its true condition ascertained ; if a simple wound it must be 
irrigated with sterilized water, carefully sutured, dressed and 
bandaged ; but if a complicated wound, all foreign bodies must 
be removed, the wound must then be well irrigated, sutured, 
dressed and bandaged. . When drainage is necessary, an open¬ 
ing should be left at the lower part of the wound. " Fomenta¬ 
tions or cold packs should be used when indicated. If there 
are indications of sepsis the dressings should be removed and 
the wound must be thoroughly irrigated with water and if 
necessary antiseptic solutions may be used ; the dressings and 
bandages should^ be replaced after the wound is cleaned, and 
supervised as necessity demands. 
Penetrating Wounds of the Abdomen .—In domestic animals 
these wounds are usually caused with blunt or sharp pointed 
instruments, such as forks, bayonets, knives or horns ; by falls 
upon pointed objects, such as plow points, bolts, harrows or 
spurs ; by leaping over fences ; by the bite of carnivorous ani¬ 
mals, and gunshots. All wounds of this class should be con¬ 
sidered serious, no matter how small and insignificant they 
may appear. A simple puncture is often more dangerous than 
a wound that first appears serious, such as those that are com¬ 
plicated with visceral injury. In most every instance these 
wounds are inflicted with objects that are not aseptic and need 
immediate attention. A simple insignificant appearing wound 
is often neglected, and as a matter of course is followed by 
infection, fistulse and secondary abscesses which could have 
been prevented, had it received surgical attention at the proper 
time. It is necessary in all cases to ascertain the character of 
the wound and to give it the surgical attention indicated. The 
use of a probe should be avoided if the condition of the wound 
can be determined without. The appearance and condition of 
the object that produced the wound, will to a degree of cer¬ 
tainty, indicate the character of it, and to some extent, the 
nature of infection likely to follow ; but too much reliance 
should not be placed upon a condition guessed in this manner, 
for a fistula, an abscess or tetanus following the treatment of a 
wound of this character is avoidable and should therefore be 
prevented. 
