SETONS. 145 



cause fever of the feet, by a metastasis, changing the 

 seat of irritation from the. internals to the extremities — 

 a very palpable case in point. 



SETONS. 



The insertion of a seton properly belongs to the pro- 

 fessional man, and only for the guidance of persons 

 who, from living in remote neighbourhoods or other 

 causes, cannot possibly procure the assistance of such, 

 the following information is inserted, in order to obviate 

 the necessity for some ignorant farrier being permitted 

 to perform the operation after his own fashion. The 

 skin is first divided by surgical scissors made for such 

 purposes, to the width of the seton-needle to be used, 

 which must be wide or narrow, according to the orifice 

 required, with white linen tape passed through its eye, 

 about the same width as the needle and orifice. The 

 needle is then inserted at the opening, and, passing 

 superficially under the skin, is directed towards the 

 point where the lower or depending orifice is intended 

 to be, and where the needle and tape are drawn out. 

 Sufficient tape must be left at each extremity to admit 

 not only of its being tied round small rolls of tow 

 which keep the tape from running through at either 

 side, but some inches of the tape should be left in ad- 

 dition at one end, to allow of a portion being drawn out 

 at one orifice each day, and a fresh piece with dressing 

 being drawn in at the other. 



In cases where there is already an upper orifice with 

 sinuses, the surgeon (if he does not lay the place entirely 

 open with a knife, which, if the sinuses are deep-seated, 



K 



