Abscesses situated in the region of the neck, chest, or abdomen should be opened without delay, in order to prevent with certainty the effusion of pus inwardly. Certain abscesses of the neck call for an early opening, because they not only cause a considerable and very painful swelling, but the matter may easily descend towards the chest in the course of the vessels and nerves; - in short, all abscesses producing serious disturbance or interruption of the functions of very important organs, and thereby endangering life, as abscesses of the throat, may threaten suffocation. In such cases, if you defer making an opening until the swelling has softened and the abscess perfectly formed, the animal would be in great danger of perishing ere such changes had taken place.

The generality of chronic abscesses should be opened early, more especially if the means usually resorted to for promoting the absorption of the matter present no prospect of success. By omitting to make an outlet for the matter, we allow the accumulation of it to increase, and sometimes the abscess then becomes dangerous from its mere size, the inner surface of it, or the cyst, acquiring vast magnitude.

Where The Opening Should Be Made

If a free opening be not required, or the making of such free opening impracticable, it is at least proper to make whatever outlet for the matter can be made in a depending situation. By this means the pus will more readily escape, and all pressure arising from its confinement or lodgment will be prevented. When circumstances forbid an opening at the most depending part of an abscess, we should make a freer opening than would otherwise be required, press out the matter as often as necessary, and keep the sides of the abscess together with a bandage, but, if possible, always endeavour to open them in a low situation.

Different Methods Of Opening Abscesses

All abscesses will sooner or later burst naturally of themselves, unless the matter be absorbed, and sometimes they ought to be allowed to take this course. There are, however, particular circumstances which urgently require an early opening; but when the skin over the abscess is very thin, it is not of much consequence whether the case be permitted to burst of itself or opened.

When abscesses are large, it is generally necessary to open them by art, whether they have burst of themselves or not, for the natural opening will seldom be sufficient for the completion of a cure, and although it may be sufficient for the free discharge of the matter, yet these abscesses will heal much more readily when a free opening is made; for the thin skin over the cavity granulates but indifferently, and therefore unites but slowly with the parts underneath, Abscesses may be opened either with a lancet or knife, or occasionally by an escharotic. Against the latter plan, however, strong objections lie, as the use of caustic is not usually attended with any advantage which may not be obtained by a simple puncture or incision; upon a tender inflamed part it gives much more pain, it is more slow in its effects, and we can never direct its action so nicely as to destroy exactly the parts which we wish and no more; and if the eschar be not deep enough, the lancet must be used after all. Caustic also leaves a greater scar; but it may sometimes he advantageously resorted to when there is a good deal of indolent hardness around a small abscess.

However, in almost all cases it is better to use the lancet, or sharp-pointed narrow knife. Either of those instruments opens the abscess at once, and with less pain than results from caustic; it occasions no loss of substance; you can make your opening in the most advantageous direction, and of the exact size required.