The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-05-12

How TO Care the Ff-tuI..

The sore, wound, or abscess, OF voul
other mare, constitutes a fstula. In or
der to be able to treat it nationally, YOU
have FIRST to ascertain, by careful probing,
the exact direction, depth, and possible
complication, of the fstulous canal, and
also the cause of the constant irritation
and consequent suppuration; for any at
tempt to effect a healing will be in vain
as long as that cause, whatever ii NAV
be, has not been removed. II a great
many cases, perhaps in nine out of ten,
the suppuration is supported by the mat
ter which cannot be discharged from the
bottom of the 6stulous abscess-the
pocket as you call it-and which acts as
the foreign body, and causes constant ir-
ritation. If this is the case, the opening
has to be enlarged downward, or ii it is
impratlcable, new outlet has 10 be made
large enough to enable the matter to flow
off without impeachment from every part,
point, or recess, of the whole fstula. or
lstulous abscess, sac, or pocket. In some
cases, the suppuration is protected by u
loosened or separated piece of tissue, by
splinter of bone, etc., or by foreign
body-a piece of wood, for instance =
that has entered from the outside. After
everything that is able t. cause irritation.
and to prolong thereby the suppuratlon
process in the interior of the abscess or
tistula, has been removed, it becomes
necessary to destroy the walls of the fstu-
lous canal from its bottom to its opening
for these walls are usually hard and fl
brous, or callous, and prevent healthy
FORMULATION, especially if the fistula is of
long standing. This DESTROYING those
walls can be done in different WAYS.
They can be extripated, in some cases at
least, by means of a surgical knife, or be
destroyed by one or more applications of
a red-hot iron, and by means Of caustIcs.
Among the latter, which probably will
answer iii your case, a strong solution of
sulphate OF copper (blue vitrol) deserves
preference to others in almost every ordi-
nary or common case, because it is cheap,
easy of application, comparatively safe to
handle, and very effective. Still, it must
be remembered that caustics can assist
only in bringing fistula to healing after
the cause of the constant suppuration has
been effectually removed-in other words,
after surgical operation has preceded
Without such an operation, an application
of caustics, no matter now strong and de-
structive the latter may be, is of no use
Whatever, as you have experienced your
self. Caustics may be used either in sub
stance, or i'll form of a solution, and be
injected into fstula by means of a syr-
inge. The latter application is the easiest,
and is usually practiced in all cases in
which there is no danger that
the fluid caustics will find way into
lower-situated tissues, and cause destruc-
ton where none is wanted. Where such
danger exists it will be better to use caus-
tics in substance, or, if solution is pre-
ferred, to apply the latter by means of
bunch of cotton.
After every obstacle to healing has
been removed after the hard, fbrous
walls of the 6stulous canal have been de-
and free discharge of the mat
ter from every point of the tistulous alb
scess has been secured. the latter has lost
its fistulous character, has become once
more common wound or abscess, and
requires no more extraordinary treat
ment. Protection against injurious infu-
ences, and strict cleanliness, will be suffi-
Gent to insure healing within a short
time. VETERINARIAN.