370 CHAPTER 49. 



insensible, and the skin is i)ernuinenlly injured,— it is no lont^er termed 

 ;i warble, but is known as a Sitfast. The skin beeomes thickened and 

 half dead, and is often adherent to the bottom of the sore and kept alive 

 ])Y blood at its root. The Sitfast will frequently be found to be partially 

 separated all round from the living skin. 



The best treatment is to cut it out ; but should its adherence to the 

 miderlying tissue be too extensive, a day or two's poulticing will facilitate 

 its se])aration. Lunar caustic should then be applied with a view of pro- 

 ducing a fresh active healthy sore, which may with care be induced to 

 heal uj) properly. 



TiTje elastic skin of the original (luality is never reproduced, when 

 once destroyed, either in the case of Sitfasts or of any other injuries. 

 But a substitute for it will be produced, which will answer sufficiently 

 well in most cases ; and the skin all round will contract in such a way, as 

 to leave but little nuirk. 



7G0a. Melanosis. 



Melanosis occurs in the form of numerous tumours, usually where the 

 skin is thin and denuded of hair, containing a black ])igment. It affects 

 horses of light colour, especially greys and washy chestnuts, usually in 

 aged animals, though the disease is recorded as having occurred as early 

 as five years old. 



The cause is obscure. In some few cases the tumours reach a great 

 size, but in most cases they arc not sufficiently developed to incomuKjdo 

 the animal. For small tumours no treatment is needed or advisable, but 

 in large tumours the knife may be resorted to; but as the tumours 

 a})i)ear to be constitutional, any beneficial result is doubtful. 



7t)06. Scirrhous Cord. 



This is an unfavorable result (jf Castration, causing a more or less 

 extensive and indurated swelling at the end of the divided cord, and 

 a conspicuous enlargement of the scrotal bag or sack. The only treat- 

 ment is excision by a Yeterinaiy Surgeon, 



