312 BURSATTEE, 



which, from their situation, etc., are most hable to be the seat 

 of wounds from any cause. The subcutaneous tumours are 

 first recognised as soft swelKngs, apparently underneath and 

 free from the skin, assuming a nochdar character ; they, how- 

 ever, soon impart the impression of being attached to the skin, 

 and may of course present varieties of consistency — there is 

 little heat or tenderness manifested. In about eight or ten 

 days after the first detectable swelling hardening occurs ; the 

 process proceeds until the feeling of firmness of an ordinary 

 fibrous tumour is attained. In a period much depending on 

 the 'disposition of the animal, or very frequently accelerated by 

 rubbing or biting, apparently induced by the itching, ulcera- 

 tion occurs, and the bursattee sore is manifest. This presents 

 a papillated appearance, and discharges a small quantity of 

 thin puriform material ; the edges are slightly raised, and in 

 some cases undermined. On the floor of the ulcer are scattered 

 little hardened eminences — kunkurs — which may usually, 

 by pressure between the finger and thumb, be squeezed out ; 

 the sore is of an indolent nature, and manifests little tendency 

 to sj)read ; though this does occur, and we occasionally find the 

 sores becoming confluent. They present an appearance which 

 the term ' vegetative growth ' is frequently used to imply ; in 

 figure they are frequently circular, but are met Avith of 

 every variety of shape. The process or product of healing is 

 special. The reparative material invariably assumes in some 

 degree the nature of kunkur ; the cicatrix is of a slate-grey 

 colour, and somewhat resembles that of a severe burn. Ulcera- 

 tion and cicatrization may go on simultaneously in different 

 parts of the same sore : the whole scab may be thrown oft', and 

 an unhealthy ulcerating surface exposed ; or it may become 

 fissured, and through these openings a grumous discharge may 

 issue. They rarely or never heal permanently spontaneously. 

 The edges of the sore are underrun with the bursattee material, 

 and in its extirpation in treatment it is highly essential to 

 recognise this fact. 



Though we stated that all parts of the integumentary area 

 were liable to become the seats of the tumours or sores, some, 

 from varying circumstances, appear to be much more fre- 

 quently aft'ected than others ; thus the inner canthus of the 

 eye is often its situation. From here, in aggravated cases, it 



