A dictionary of the veterinary art : containing all the modern improvements ... : the whole ... forming a work equally useful to the professional veterinarian, the practising farrier, the farmer, and the private gentleman, in obtaining a knowledge of the diseases of horses and other cattle / by Thomas Boardman.

  • Boardman, Thomas.
Date:
1805
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dictionary of the veterinary art : containing all the modern improvements ... : the whole ... forming a work equally useful to the professional veterinarian, the practising farrier, the farmer, and the private gentleman, in obtaining a knowledge of the diseases of horses and other cattle / by Thomas Boardman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    it out but when it is funk deep, and lies ab- folutely beyond the reach of the finger, it mutt appear evident, upon the lead reflec- tion, that thruding fird a long probe in qued of the bullet, and then, as has been pra£tifed likewife, a longer pair of forceps, either with or without teeth, into a wound of that kind, though with a fort of certainty to extract it, mud either contufe, or irritate and inflame, the parts to a greater degree; and, confe- quently, do as much or more mifchief than the ball did at fird by forcing its palTage fuch a length of way. And fliould they, at the fame time, lay hold of any confiderable artery or nerve along with the ball (which can fcarce fail of being the cafe), what hurtful confequences would attend fuch a proceeding ! Nor would at- tempts of this fort be lefs injurious, in cafe a bullet Ikould happen to be lodged in the cavity of the belly or bread. Such attempts are the lefs neceflary, becaufe a great number of in- dances have occurred, where balls have quietly lodged in feveral parts of the body, till, after many years, they have Vorked themfelves a paflage towards the furface, and were very eafily extra£fed, and many where balls have been entirely left behind without any ill con- fequence. In cafe the wound be occafioned by a mulket or pidol (hot, and of courfe but fmall, if will be deemed neceflary to dilate it without de- lay, provided the nature of the part will admit of this with fafety; for in wounds near a joint, or in very membranous or tendinous parts, tlie knife, as well as forceps, liiould be put under fome redraint -, nor diould any more opening be made than what is abfolutely re- quifite for the free difeharge of the matter lodged within. Where the wounded animal has not fullered any great lofs of blood (and this is generally the cafe), it will be advifable to open a v’ein immediately, and take from the fame a large quantity; and to repeat bleeding, as circum- dances may require, the fecond, and even the third day. Repeated bleedings in the begin- ning draw after them many advantages; they prevent a good deal of pain and inflammation, lefl'en any feverilh aflaults, forward the di- gedion, and feldom fail to obviate impodhu- mations, and a long train of complicated fymptoms, which are wont otherwife to in- terrupt the cure, miferably harafs the poor patient, and too often endanger his life. Even where the feverifli fymptoms .run high, and dicre is aimed a certainty that matter is form- ing, bleeding, in that date, is very frequently of great advantage. If it fo happen that a gun-fliot wound has penetrated any of the large joints, and, in pafllng through them, fradbured the ends of the bones, it will then be found for the mod part impolTible, let the flcill or abilities of the fur- geon be ever fo great, to preferve both the life and limb of the patient. The reafon of this is, that the accefs of air to die cavity of the joint excites fuch a violent inflammation as mud certainly end in gangrene ; and, there- fore, for the mod part, it will be propei', as foon as poffible, to dedroy the horse. Gibfon’s treatment of gun-lhot wounds, though more humane and judicious than was the fafliion of his time, will not wholly bear repetition. His advice to pour in fpirits of wine, and to introduce tents dipped in tur- pentine, honey, and tinflure of myrrh, would by no means be acceptable to the enlightened veterinarian of the prefent day. The follow- ing obfervations of that refpedbable writer, however, are rather lefs at variance with exid- ing opinions. “ Where a ball,” fays he, “ has penetrated quite through any part, both orifices mud be kept open till the wound is filled up with new flelh, and no bad fymptoms remain, as pain, fwelling, or inflammation, which in thofe gun- diot wounds that enter the bones as well as the flefli would denote the exidence either of extraneous matter or of fplinters, which mud be removed by gradually enlarging the mod convenient orifice. But in mod internal wounds this is unnecefl'ary, becaufe the bullet or what- ever elfe inflifts the wound can feldom be brought out by the fame way it entered. I have known leaden bullets lie many years in men, efpecially in the abdomen, without any great pain or danger, and thofe that have gone deep in the flefli and beyond reach, make fometimes their way afterwards from places where they could never be expedfed to ap- pear. Many extraordinary inftances of this kind are refuted In books of furgery, and in the tranfadfions of the learned in feveral parts of Europe. “ I have known bullets pierce through both flefli and bones in men, making a,round fmooth paffage, like an auger-hole, and been as eafy of cure as a j^^j-wound, except when they have penetrated or grazed on the joints. In thefe cafes, horfes may be rendered ufelefs, even though the wound be cured. If the bones are fplintcred the cafe will always be dangerous, r r