200 NON-INFLAMMATORY DISEASES OF BONES. 



and sold for £29 the day before he was slaughtered, and was as 

 able to masticate his food as if nothing ailed him. It is on 

 record, however, that the teeth drop out of their sockets, and 

 that fistulse open into the mouth. 



Treatment, in any but the early stages, is out of the question, 

 and the only thing to be done is to feed the animal, if possible, 

 for the fat market. If, however, called in before the tumour 

 has attained any considerable magnitude, the practitioner may 

 remove it. To effect this, he must dissect the skin and sub- 

 cutaneous structures from the tumour; trephine in one or 

 two places, as starting-points; and remove the whole of the 

 diseased structures, including the teeth surrounded by them, by 

 either the bone forceps or saw. The operator must be careful 

 not to leave any portion of the diseased parts, or it will most 

 assuredly become the nucleus of a new growth. When the 

 removal is complete, the skin is to be brought together by 

 metallic or carbolised catgut sutures, and over all collodion 

 or styptic colloid is to be thickly painted. In this manner the 

 wound will often heal without suppuration. 



The practitioner will of course understand the necessity of 

 carefully feeding the animal upon soft diet for some days after 

 the operation, and that some attention must be paid to the parts 

 operated upon. 



THE EFFECTS OF MERCURY ON BONE. 



The accompanying woodcuts — for the use of which I am in- 

 debted to Professor Bennett — illustrate the effects of mercury on 

 the bones of a dog, the skeleton of which is now in the Museum of 

 the University of Edinburgh. The history of the case is given by 

 Professor Bennett in his Principles and Practice of Medicine, 

 and is as follows : — " The dog lived in the shop of Mr, Ballan- 

 tyne, eighteen years ago, in Carrubber's Close. At that time 

 the work carried on consisted almost exclusively of painting 

 with Vermillion and lacquering Japan articles. The dog, who 

 never left the premises, was frequently seen lapping the Ver- 

 million oil paint ; and there can be no doubt that in this way 

 there was introduced into his system a considerable quantity 

 of mercury. After death, the dog was dissected. Numerous 



