520 



THE DISEASES OF THE HOKSE 



mouth, on the slightest contact of the bit. When this occurs, the mouth 

 being full of pink froth, it should be carefully examined, and the state of 

 things here described will generally be found to exist. The treatment should 

 consist in the adoption of a bit pressing upon another part of the mouth, 

 changing the curb for a snaffle. The wound should be kept open by the 

 use of caustic (lunar) daily, which should be pushed deeply into it for a 

 couple of seconds, and will destroy the unhealthy granulations. By con- 

 tinuing these measures, taking care not to do more with the caustic than 

 necessary to keep down the fungous growth, a cure can always be effected 

 in course of time, without the aid of the trephine or chisel to cut away the 

 diseased bone. 



OSTEO SARCOMA 



The jaws are occasionally attacked by a malignant growth from their 

 cellular structure of a substance partaking of the nature both of cartilage 

 and bone. It increases sometimes to an enormous size, and forms a large 

 irregular tumour, which interferes terribly with their functions, often 



OStEo Sarcoma of the Lower Jaw. 



growing so as to prevent the closure of the teeth. This disease is repre- 

 sented in Fig. 97, as far as the osseous tissue is concerned ; but the soft 

 growths, which occupied the central parts of the tumour, have been removed 

 by maceration. The symptoms are entirely local, and when a laro-e, 

 unwieldy, and irregularly hard swelling on either of the jaws is met with' 

 it may safely be set down as belonging to this class of disease. No treatment 

 is of any avail except excision, which can rarely be carried through without 

 rendering the horse unserviceable for his ordinary duties. 



FRACTURES 



Bones are not unfrcquently broken in the horse ; but as the accident 

 generally occurs either during the violent exertion of the muscles of the 

 limb, or from great external force, it follows that in most cases the injury 

 to the soft parts is so great as to forbid the hope of a perfect reparation. 



The veterinary as compared with the human surgeon is at a great 



