197 [sET- 
SETONS. 
eee soar 
These are artificial drains similar to issues, and 
differing chiefly in their being inserted between a 
considerable nether surface of the skin and par- 
tially of the teguments beneath it, and the muscle. 
The skin is pinched up into a fold with the fingers 
of one hand, while the seton needle mounted with 
a skein of silk, a piece of broad tape, or several 
strands of narrow tape, is pierced through the 
duplicature by the other hand, and the silk or 
tape carried along with it. A loose tie is then 
made of the ends, and an emollient poultice applied =~ 
for six or eight or ten hours, or, until suppuration — 
has commenced. It is kept up by drawing the 
inserted material daily so far out of the wound, 
as to expose the part covered by it: it is then 
washed clean with soap and water, a mild dress- 
ing applied, and the succeeding day is drawn 
through the other side to its first place: and this 
treatment is necessary to be pursued as long as _ 
the seton is supposed useful, or until its discharge 
_spontaneously ceases. or at least is so inconsidera- 
ble as to be inefficacious. It has been supposed 
that setons are preferable to issues, because we 
can gradually lessen the discharge by removing 
- strands of the silk or small tape, until the whole 
be taken out; thus avoiding the inconvenience and 
even danger which it is asserted has sometimes 
eccured, by suddenly stopping the discharge of the 
common issue by ‘removal of the irritant body. 
