hind-limbs.  With pregnancy this tendency is enormously increased, and it is no uncommon thing to find a cart-mare in this condition, with legs, as the owner terms it, ‘as thick as gate-posts.’  A prick to the foot, with the lymphatics of the limb in this state, is extremely likely to end in septic infection of the leg, for there appears to be no doubt but that invasion of the lymphatics with septic matter is favoured by a sluggish stream.  Also, in the case of a patient in the advanced stages of pregnancy, it must be remembered that, no matter how great may be the need, one is debarred, for obvious reasons, from using the slings.

Treatment.—­In a simple case—­and by ‘simple’ here we mean the case in which the injury is discovered early, and pus has not yet commenced to form—­our first duties are to give the wound free drainage, and to maintain it in an aseptic condition.  The first of these objects is to be arrived at by paring down the horn in a funnel-shaped fashion over the seat of the prick.  It is, perhaps, even better to thin the horn down to the sensitive structures for some little distance round the injury.  By this latter method pressure from inflammatory exudate is lessened, and the after-formation of pus, if unfortunate enough to occur, the more readily detected, and the less likely to spread upwards.  The matter of asepsis may then be attended to.

When the puncture is sufficiently large to admit of it, the antiseptic dressing is best applied by means of the probe.  This instrument is thinly wrapped with tow, or other absorbent material, so as to form a small swab.  Dipped in a suitable solution (as, for example, Zinc Chloride, Spts.  Hydrarg.  Perchlor., Carbolic Acid, or any other that suggests itself), the swab is inserted into the prick, and the wound conveniently mopped clean.  A further portion of the medicated tow is then pushed partially into the wound, and allowed to remain in position.  The foot is subsequently wrapped in a clean bag, and kept free from dirt.  This dressing should be repeated twice daily.

If the prick is in a dangerous position, and deep enough to occasion alarm, our precautions to prevent the formation of septic matters within it may be more elaborate.  The thinning of the horn and the swabbing of the wound may, as before, be proceeded with.  In addition, the whole foot may then be immersed for some hours daily in a cold bath, which bath should be strongly impregnated with one or other of the following salts:  Iron Sulphate, Zinc Sulphate, Copper Sulphate, Aluminium Sulphate, Lead Acetate, or Sodium Chloride—­better still, a mixture of the various sulphates here mentioned.  If preferred, one of the more commonly accepted antiseptics—­such as Carbolic Acid, Lysol, Boracic Acid, or Perchloride of Mercury—­may be substituted.

By the cold of the bath inflammatory phenomena are held in check, while its added antiseptic prevents the formation of septic discharges.  The lameness gradually diminishes, and resolution is rapid.  In this way deep and serious, wounds are sometimes easily and successfully treated.