LACERATED WOUNDS-SLOUGHING.

179

ing or evaporating lotions may be used here. When a tumour rises from internal effusion, many prefer the discutient or salammoniac lotion*, believing that it promotes the action of the absorbents; and perhaps it does. Should there be any sign or chance of fever approaching, we must bleed without loss of time. Whether we bleed or not, however, a purge will generally prove beneficial.

SLOUGHING.-Occasionally parts exposed by laceration, or whose structure is destroyed by contusion, take on a sloughing action: they lose their vitality, and require to be separated from the contiguous living parts, and cast off. While this process is going on, the surface assumes an opaque, dirty, livid hue, becoming darker and darker, until it has turned in places almost black. An acrid, offensive, thin discharge exudes from the part; and the fetor is of that remarkably disgusting nature, that, once perceived, is never likely to be forgotten: in fact, before now, I have no sooner entered the gateway of a veterinary surgeon, than I have said to him, "Why, you have got a case of mortification in your stables!" A good application in such a case is camphorated spirit-made by dissolving two ounces of camphor in a pint of spirits of wine. Wet some soft linen cloths in this, and cover the sloughy parts with them. Poultices, when they can be applied, are of great service in these cases, as soon as the parts become dead and the process of separation has begun they may be made either of linseed meal or oatmeal alone, or yeast may be added to set them fermenting, so that they may be applied in a state of fermentation. known useful by way of change. may be corrected by charcoal, or, tiseptic-the chloride of lime. allowed the animal during the changes going on in the wound; and he may be further supported, should it appear necessary, by steel, bark, bitters, &c†.

Carrot poultices I have When the fetor is extreme, it better still, by that potent anA generous diet should be

*The recipe for which will be found at page 128.

+ My predecessor in the Life Guards, Mr. Bloxham, had great faith (where tonic medicines appeared requisite) in the sulphate of iron given in porter or stout: he would give a drachm or more of the salt, dissolved in a pint of warm porter, twice a-day.

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180

PUNCTURED WOUNDS.

These differ from other wounds in their disproportionate depth compared with their breadth, and in the smallness of their external opening. Thorns, nails, pitchforks, knives, scissors, lancets, are the common instruments of their production; and in their general nature they are more or less dangerous, according to what part is punctured, and according to the depth or extent of the puncture. They are under all circumstances attended with more danger than incised wounds, and mostly than lacerations or contusions: in fact, they constitute the most perilous description of wounds we have to deal with. From the smallness and apparent insignificance of the external wound, people are apt to regard punctures as but of little importance; and therefore they continue using their horses as though nothing of the kind had happened. After a time, however, the animal falls dead lame, and is returned to his stable with a foot or leg, perhaps, in that condition in which it will require two or three months to be restored to soundness. On the pathology of these wounds Mr. Lawrence makes the following pertinent practical observations :— "When inflammation is brought on in consequence of a wound of this kind, it affects the deep-seated textures of the limb; hence the limb generally swells and becomes hard, the inflamed parts being confined and bound by the faschia which covers them. Under these circumstances, people say, 'oh! the faschia is inflamed.’ It is necessary, therefore, in the treatment of a wound of this kind, to adopt those measures, in the first place, which are calculated to obviate inflammation of deep-seated parts. Although you may not know the extent to which the puncture has gone, should treat the case as if it were one in which considerable inflammation is likely to arise, and thus you will prevent its occurrence; for if a case of this kind is neglected, the local inflammation (attended, I would add, by suppuration) often becomes very considerable*."

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I shall now consider those injuries to which particular parts of the body are most subject, beginning with the head and ending with the foot.

* In his Lectures on Surgery, in the Lancet for 1830, vol. i, p. 355.

INJURIES OF THE EYE.

Sometimes the eye itself, more commonly the eyelid, becomes the seat of injury. If a blow be aimed at a horse's eye, so instantaneous is the sympathetic closure of the lid, that, perhaps ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the lid will receive the injury, and the eye itself escape unhurt.

BLOWs are very commonly received upon the orbital process; that being the most prominent part, and so placed as to form a sort of barrier or protection to the eye. Here, therefore, we look in general for the marks of the blow. In a case of this description, the upper lid is more or less swollen, and there is commensurate inability to elevate the lid; so that half or more of the cornea remains covered. The ball of the eye is rarely or never injured though in cases where there exists much inflammation the conjunctive membrane commonly partakes of it; for we mostly find it redder than usual. This blow or hurt, and tumefied eyelid consequent on it, forms in general a very simple case; one that requires nothing more by way of remedy than cold water and a dose of purgative medicine. Procure the coldest water possible; wet a thin linen cloth, fold it and lay it upon the swollen lid; or sponge the lid as often as it becomes dry. Simple water in such a case as this is preferable to Goulard or evaporating lotions; the latter being liable to irritate or annoy the eye. Should the inflammation and swelling run high, take a gallon of blood from that side of the neck, and repeat it if necessary; and substitute constant fomentation for the refrigerant applications.

LACERATION OF THE EYELID is an accident that now and then presents itself. The upper lid, commonly, gets torn from being struck or hitched against some nail or hook in the stall. A horse is very apt to do this in catching up his head during the time of feeding, when there are any half-driven nails about the head-boarding of the stall. I have had three or four cases of this kind. I remember the accident happening to a hunter of my father's. I have invariably succeeded in obtaining union by the first intention of the parts, by the use of sutures. The

laceration commonly extends in a transverse direction, along the border of the lid, from the outer towards the inner angle of

the eye.

INJURIES OF THE EYEBALL are comparatively uncommon. Hayseeds, insects, bits of dirt, &c. do now and then fly upon the cornea, and, in the consequent and simultaneous twinkling that takes place, become involved and carried under the upper lid; where (especially if it be pointed) the particle sticks with so much. pertinacity, that its extraction turns out, occasionally, a difficult operation. The way to set about this, is to seize fast hold of the upper eyelashes with the right hand, while the left impresses and fixes the lower lid; then, to elevate the former as much as possible, so as to be able to see underneath it. Should this not succeed, we must evert the upper lid: an operation not difficult providing the horse be well secured, and the operator be himself expert; and when effected, one that will certainly enable us to discover any foreign body that may be lodged underneath the lid.

CUTS AND CONTUSIONS do, however, occasionally reach the globe of the eye itself. They then cause a great deal of inflammation, and require a correspondent activity of treatment. The most formidable cases of this class are those in which the cornea is penetrated, allowing the aqueous humour to escape, and the iris to protrude through the opening. Violent inflammation supervenes on an accident of this nature; the lids are kept constantly closed; and the animal experiences so much pain and irritation, as to resist to the utmost having them opened. We can do little more in the first instance than bleed copiously; exhibit a strong purge; and use anodyne fomentations to the eye-warm water in which poppy heads have been boiled. As soon as the physic begins to operate, we may probably succeed in separating the lids sufficiently to enable us to examine into the condition of the eyeball. Should we find the iris protruding, it will be proper to touch it with caustic-either with lunar caustic or butter of antimony-with a view of destroying the prolapsed portion, and, at the same time, deadening the high degree of sensibility it has acquired by being squeezed by the

INJURIES OF THE MOUTH AND JAWS.

183 cornea and rubbed by the lids, while in a state of intense inflammation. The caustic must be repeated until the protruded iris is reduced down to a level with the cornea: after that, astringent eye-washes* may be used to repress the purulent discharge; which, as soon as the violence of the inflammatory action begins to decline, is in these cases generally most abundantt.

INJURIES OF THE MOUTH, TONGUE, AND JAWS.

These parts, from abuse and mismanagement, now and then become cut, contused, lacerated, or abraded, in a variety of ways. Horses that have suffered injuries of this description, slaver at the mouth, cud their food, or else refuse to eat any but what is of a soft and easily masticated nature. These symptoms lead us to examine into the state of the mouth, where we often find the cause to be tumour, or wound, or ulceration of some part, the effect of injury.

THE TONGUE is sometimes exhibited to us with an incision or rent almost through its substance: at other times the franum lingua is the seat of laceration. This may be produced by violence with a sharp bit. Or it may happen through too forcibly dragging the tongue out of the mouth, and sawing it against the edges of the molar teeth, in the act of administering a ball. Or the tongue may be, I believe, bitten by the animal himself; perhaps during sleep, or in too voraciously feeding at least, I have had cases said to have occurred during the night, which I could not in any other manner account for. Should the division be in the organ itself, and deep and recent, we may make trial of sutures; though, unless the wound be near the tip, we shall find some difficulty in inserting them. And, after all, we must not expect to accomplish adhesion; for the constant motion the tongue is in, together with the circumstance of the food conti

* A solution of alum, gr. x to 3i; or a solution of white vitriol, gr. v to zi Should there be still inflammatory irritation present, add to either solution twenty drops of laudanum.

For further information, turn to the account of " Diseases of the Eye."