A DICTIONARY. 



275 



of making a rowel is after the following 

 manner : a slit is first made by means of 

 the rowel scissors, on any part of the integ- 

 uments held between the finger and thumb; 

 with the handle of the scissors separate 

 fi-om its cellular connections a circle of two 

 or three inches in diameter, into which in- 

 troduce something to prevent the reunion 

 of the skin. A piece of circular leather, 

 tolerably stiff", with a central hole, is a very 

 common substance used, but is objected to 

 by some on account of the difficulty of 

 changing it without injuring the skin : tow, 

 as more pliant, is frequently introduced into 

 this cavity. If the rowel runs freely, it 

 should be dressed every day, by changing 

 the plug, if of tow, and by cleansing it, if 

 of leather. No rowel should go undressed 

 beyond the second day, for the comfort of 

 the horse. They are very favorite applica- 

 tions with farriers, and therefore are fre- 

 quently abused, by being employed in all 

 cases indiscriminately ; they are now, how- 

 ever, falling into disuse, setons having almost 

 superseded them. 



" Setons, in their action, resemble a very 

 mild form of rowel, but are more conven- 

 ient in their application. There is hardly 

 a part of the body where a seton may not 

 be conveniently placed : they have been put 

 around the eye ; they have also been entered 

 at the withers, and brought out between 

 the humerus and the sternum, — so exten- 

 sive or so diminutive can they be made. 

 In sinuous ulcers of the withers and of the 

 neck, they may be placed; through the 

 heels, in foot diseases, they have been in- 

 serted. In cavernous sores, they are en- 

 tered at the superior part, and are brought 

 out at an inferior, so as to form a depending 

 orifice. The formation of a seton is very 

 simple : a skein of thread, or a piece of tape 

 of a convenient size, may be used : at the 

 one end place a large knot; arm the eye 

 of a corresponding-sized seton needle with 

 the free end of the tape ; introduce this into 

 any proposed part, and, bringing it out at 

 some other, either make a second knot, or 

 tie the two ends of the tape together ; which 



last method of fastening is, however, often 

 objected to, from the danger of its catching 

 in something, and being torn out, to the 

 disfigm-ement of the horse. When a seton 

 is placed in a sinuous track, for the purpose 

 of inflaming, it is moved twice a day fre- 

 quently, and moistened each time with some 

 stimulant, as oil of turpentine, tincture of 

 aloes and of benjamin. All setons require 

 daily cleaning and moving. When they 

 are required to act more quicldy, the tape 

 is infused in terebinthinate of cantharides, 

 or small pieces of black hellebore are sewn 

 within it. An old material, composed of 

 woollen, flax, or cotton, and hair, is also 

 used instead of tape. Setons, however, are 

 of small service in acute cases. They are 

 chiefly in use for disturbances of a chronic 

 description. 



" Abstraction of Blood, or Bleeding. — 

 Arteriotomy. — Blood is abstracted by open- 

 ing the conducting vessels, arterial and ve- 

 nous. When taken from arteries, the 

 process is called arteriotomy ; when by the 

 latter, phlebotomy. Some bleedings include 

 both these operations, as general scarifica- 

 tions of the soft parts ; bleeding at the toe 

 point ; divisions of the vessels of the cornea, 

 etc., etc. Blood-letting is called local when 

 it is practised on or very near the affected 

 part ; and it is supposed to act more im- 

 mediately than general bleeding, because it 

 produces more effect with the loss of less 

 blood. Local bleeding is therefore usually 

 practised on the minor branches of the 

 arteries and veins, as on the temporal artery, 

 the plate vein, the vena saphena, etc. 

 Leeches are a means of local bleeding not 

 often used by us in veterinary practice ; but 

 there is no reason whatever why they should 

 not be employed ; when appUed to the eye, 

 and occasionally to other parts also, they 

 adhere readily, abstracting blood rapidly, 

 and therefore might be valuable aids in 

 violent local inflammation. Cupping is 

 also practised in France and other parts of 

 the Continent with very large glasses, and it 

 is there supposed to act remedially in many 

 local inflammations. By general bleeding 



