Over the whole sore, or where the part is bruised, or where there is
a tendency to suppuration, a poultice should be applied and kept on
by suitable bandages. The poultice may be made of any kind of meal,
fine bran, bruised linseed, or of mashed turnips, carrots, &c. The
following has been found useful as a common poultice: Fine bran, 1
quart; pour on it a sufficient quantity of boiling water to make a
thin paste; to this add of linseed powder enough to give it a proper
consistence. The poultice may be kept on for a week or ten days,
or even longer, if necessary, changing it once or twice a day; and
cleaning the wound, when the poultice is removed, by washing it by
means of a soft rag or linen cloth, with water not more than blood
warm, (some sponge is too rough for this purpose); or, where the
wound is deep, the water may be injected into it by a syringe, in
order to clean it from the bottom.
_Ointment._
In the course of a few days, when the wound, by care and proper
management with the poultices, begins to put on a healthy appearance,
and seems to be clean and of a reddish colour, not black or bloody;
then there may be applied an ointment made of tallow, linseed oil,
bees’ wax, and hog’s lard, in such proportion as to make it of a
consistence somewhat firmer than butter. The ointment should be
spread on some soft clean tow, and when applied to the sore, it ought
never to be tied hard upon it, (which is done too frequently and
very improperly,) but only fixed by a bandage of proper length and
breadth, (for a mere cord is often improper,) so close and securely
as to keep it from slipping off. This application may be changed once
a day; or when nearly well, and discharging but little, once in two
days.
_Treatment according to the appearance of the part._
When the wounded part begins to discharge a whitish, thick matter,
and is observed to fill up, the general treatment and dressings to
the sore, now mentioned, should be continued; and in the course of
the cure, the animal, when free of fever, may be allowed better
provision, and may take gentle exercise. If the animal be feeble,
from the loss of blood originally, or from the long continuance of
a feverish state produced by the inflammation attending the wound,
or from weakness arising from confinement, or connected with its
constitution naturally; and if the wound appear to be in a stationary
state, very pale and flabby on its edges, with a thin discharge,
then better food may be given to it; and if still no change should
be observed, with the better food, the wound may be treated somewhat
differently from what has been already advised. The ointment may be
made more stimulant, by adding to it some resin and less bees’ wax,
or what would be still more stimulant, some common turpentine; for it
is only in very rare cases that oil of turpentine can be requisite.
The effects of an alteration in the mode of treatment should be
particularly remarked, and stimulants should be laid aside, continued
or increased, according as may be judged proper. Before changing
the dressings applied to the wound, or before rendering them more
stimulant and active by using heating applications, the effect of
closer bandaging may be tried; for sometimes by keeping the parts a
little more firmly together, the cure is promoted.
_Food and Regimen._
In the case of severe wounds, attention should be paid to the
condition of the animal in other respects. There being always when
such happen, a tendency to violent inflammation and fever, that may
end fatally, means should be employed to moderate both. The apartment
should be cool and airy, and so quiet that the animal should not
be disturbed; the drink should not be warm, but rather cold, and
given freely, though not in too large quantities at a time; the food
should be sparingly given and of a poorer quality than usual, and
should be rather succulent and laxative, than dry or apt to produce
costiveness; bleeding may be employed either generally from a vein,
or, in some cases, when it can be done, by cupping from the injured
part, as in the case of a bruise (though this last will be seldom
requisite or found convenient,) and it may be done more than once or
twice, as may seem proper; laxative medicines also ought to be given
and repeated, as there may be occasion.