106 The Management and Treatment of the Horse, 



continues in spite of this treatment, then other means 

 must be resorted to, and applications to facilitate the 

 ripening of the tumour must be adopted. This is best 

 effected by poultices of hot linseed meal, warm fomenta- 

 tions, and dressing with stimulating oils, such as soap 

 liniment or Elliman's embrocation, or, what is better 

 still, Gregory's Vesico Sudorific. Care must, how- 

 ever, be taken not to allow suppuration to break 

 out of its own accord, as this will leave a very ugly 

 sore, and the wound will be long healing. The 

 progress of the disease must be very narrowly watched, 

 and when the tumour becomes soft to the touch it must 

 be opened with a lancet and afterwards kept open with a 

 seton. A needle with, the cord attached must penetrate 

 the apex of the tumour, and be brought out a little way 

 below the tumour, and the incision with the lancet 

 should be large to allow of free suppuration, for if the 

 matter cannot run freely away it will set up a great 

 amount of irritation. Gentle pressure must be used to 

 squeeze all the matter out of the wound, after which 

 nothing more will be required for three or four days. 

 After the seton has set up a healthy reaction, which may 

 be known by the matter discharged being of a light straw 

 colour and of the thickness of thick cream , the seton 

 may be removed, and the wound dressed with carbolized 

 oil, five oil to one acid. It may be necessary to divide 

 the ligaments of the neck with the lance to expose the 

 bottom of the abscess to the action of the acid, but 

 no evil effects will result from this, as both ends of the 

 ligaments will unite again in a few days. It often 

 happens that the wound will fill too rapidly with new 



