DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
723 
are only capable of producing slight disturbances. Many of 
these are in fact non-pathogenic, or at least only serve to create 
favorable media for the more virulent types. 
The etiology of the diseased process which exposed wounds 
undergo is not satisfactorily demonstrated further than that it 
is due to the intrusion of organisms, but recent research has 
shown that the pus-microbes play an important role in all wound 
diseases. The variety of conditions we macroscopically observe 
in wounds may all be due to the same organism producing only 
a slight abcess in one instance and a grave septicaemia or 
pyaemia in another, precisely as we observe in tuberculosis, 
tetanus, glanders, etc., all of which also vary from very slight 
to very grave affections. The diseases of interest to the veter¬ 
inarian, occurring as a consequence of wound infection are : 
(a) Sapraemia. 
(b) Septicaemia. 
(c) Pyaemia. 
(d) Tetanus. 
(e) Actinomycosis. 
Tuberculosis, glanders, anthrax, syphilis, gonorrhoea, etc., 
are of minor importance so far as equine surgery is concerned. 
Sapremia is the constitutional disturbance produced by the 
absorption of the toxalbumins of wound infection. 
Septicemia is the constitutional disturbance of wound infec¬ 
tion when the organism, without producing any secondary pus 
collections, becomes disseminated through the body by means of 
the circulation. 
Pyemia refers to the same condition when the organisms 
produce secondary suppurative foci. 
Tetanus , a sapraemia, is the constitutional disturbance pro¬ 
duced by the bacillus of Nicolaier when inoculated into a 
punctured wound. It is a common as well as a serious wound 
disease and should always be kept in mind in surgical opera¬ 
tions. 
Actinomycosis is an accidental wound disease and is probably 
never caused by a surgical wound. 
Inflammation is the most important of all the pathological 
processes to the surgeon. A detailed description would be out 
of place in such a discussion on account of the space required. 
We should, however, stop long enough to mention the two forms 
of inflammation of interest to the surgeon :—namely, 
(a) Aseptic inflammation. 
(b) Infective inflammation. 
