Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-01-26

oakum to prevent any dirt from en-
terlng the wound. In some instances
nails may puncture the fiexor tendons,
the coffin bone, or enter the COME
joint. Such injuries are always sert
Gus. their recovery slow and tedious,
and the treatment so varied and diff
cult that the services of veterinarian
will be necessary.
Punctured Wounds of Joints.
These wounds are more or less fire.
uuent. They are always serious, and
often result in stiffening Of the joint
or the death Of the animal. The joints
mostly punctured are the hook, fetlock,
or knee, though other joints may, of
course, suffer this injury. AS the symp-
toms and treatment are much the same
for all, only the accident as it occurs
in the hook joint will be described.
Probably the most common mode OIL
injury is from the stab of a fork, but
it NAV result from the kick of another
| horse that is newly shod, or In many
other ways. At first the horse evlnces
but slight pain or lameness. The own
or discovers q small wound scarcely
larger than a pea, and pays but little
| attention to it. In q few days, how
ever, the pain and lameness become e2-
cessiye: the horse can no longer bear
any weight upon the injured leg; the
| Joint is very much swollen and pain
| full upon pressure; there are we'll
marked symptoms of constitutional dis
turbance-quick pulse, hurried breath
| ing. high temperature, 1O3 to lO6 de-
| prees Fahrenheit, the appetite is loSt,
thirst is present, the horse reeks with
| sweat. and his anxious countenance
| shows the pain he suffers. He may lie
down, though mostly he persists IN
standing. and the opposite limb be-
comes greatly swollen from bearing
the entire weight and strain for so
| long a time. The wound, which at
first appeared so insignificant, is now
constantly discharging a thin, Whitlsh
or vellowish fluid-joint oil or water
| which becomes coagulated about the
| mouth of the wound and adheres to the
part in clots, like jelly, or resembling
| somewhat the white of an egg. NOT In
| frequently the joint opens at dl1ferent
| places, discharging at first a tnln,
| bloody fluid that soon assumes the
| character above described.
Difficult of Treatment.
| Treatment of these wounds is most
difficult and unsatisfactory. Much
| can be done to prevent this array Oh
| SYMPTOMS if the case Is seen early
| within the first "a or 4S hours after the
injury; but when Inflammation OF the
| Joint is once fairly established the case
becomes one of grave tendencies.
| Whenever punctured wound OF a
| Joint is noticed, even though appar-
emily of but small moment, apply With
out the least delay a strong cam
tharides blister over the entire joint,
being even careful to fill the orit1ce
of the wound with the blistering ONT
| ment. This treatment may be ef-
| fect1al. It operates to perform cure
in two ways-frst, the swelling OF the
skin and tissues underneath it COM
pletely closes the wound and prevents
| the ingress of air; second, by the SUI
| nerficial inflammation established it
| acts to check or abate all deep-seated
Inflammation. In the great majority OF
Instances, if pursued soon after the &C
| cident. this treatment performs a cure
in about one week, but should the
| changes described as occurring later
| in the Joint have already taken place,
| then treat by cooling lotions and the
| onnlication to, the wound Of chloride
of zinc, ten grains to the ounce OF Wa
fer. or q paste made Of flour and alum.
A bandage will hold these applications
in Mace, which is only to be removed
when swelling of the leg or increasing
febrile symptoms demand it. In the
| treatment of open joints the CHIEF aim
| must be to close the orifce as soon as
possible. The only probing of an open
| Joint should be when first the wound
is examined for foreign bodies or dirt,
| and after removing them the PROBE
| must not again be used. The medf
| cines used to coagulate the synoVial
discharge are best simply applied tC
the surface Of the wound, or pledgets
of tow, and held in place by bandages
Internal treatment is also Indicated IN
those cases of open joints in which the
suffering is great. At first administer
a light physic and follow this up with
sedatives and anodynes, as directed foi
| confused wounds. Later, however
give uuinine or salicylic acid in one
dram doses two or three times day
Wounds of Tendon Sheaths.
Wounds of tendon sheaths are SIM
liar to open joints in that there is an
escape of synovial fluid, '"sinew water"
Where the tendons are punctured SIM
ply by q thorn, nail or fork, after
thorough exploration for any remain
ing foreign substance, treat the wound
with the flour-and-alum paste, BAN
| dages, ETC., as for open joint. Should
the skin and tendons be divided, the
case is even more serious and is often
| incurable. There is always a large
bed of EXAMINATIONS (proud fiesh) at
the seat of injury, and a thickening
more or less pronounced remains.
When the back tendons of the leg are
severed, apply at once a high-heel
| shoe (Which is to be gradually low
o,od &c baoI;pr a dyononS0 and handapp