110 KEMEDIES FOR bPAVlN. 



veterinary practice, but it is a true fact, not occurring in every 

 case, yet not unfrequently seen." This he accounted for by " pe- 

 netrating deeply the diseased part, and actuall}^ neurotomizing it." — 

 " Much is accomplished by the penetration of the iron at the time ; 

 and afterwards considerable sloughing ensues, and the parts be- 

 come nearly or altogether insensible, and the horse can go and can 

 work like a sound horse, and is capable of almost every thing he 

 could effect before he became lame." — " That can be done by deep 

 firing which never was accomplished by superficial firing." — " He 

 believed that the neurotomizing the part was the principal agent in 

 the cure ; but still he had always thought that the artificial band- 

 age thus produced was a most important agent in causing the 

 absorption of osseous or other tumours." 



Mr. Cheetham advocated firing in preference (o the seton, 

 which, regarded " merely as a counter-irritant," he thought " was 

 not equal to a blister." The actual cautery was " one of the most 

 powerful of remedies." — " As to firing being a bandage, there was 

 no doubt about the matter." — " Spavin was not so much a dis- 

 ease of the mucous membranes, as it was primarily a ligamentous 

 disease." 



Mr. Holmes thought, in the use of the firing-iron and the 

 seton, the distinction to be drawn was "the length of time the 

 disease had existed, and the evident change of structure that had 

 taken place. The great objection to firing was the blemish that it 

 left, and the consequent diminution of value entailed." 



Mr. You ATT thought that in spavin " the seton might be most 

 advantageously employed." He reprobated the deep cautery 

 lesions of Mr. Turner, but was fully impressed with the benefit 

 said to accrue to the fired parts from the old and new skin growing 

 tight and inelastic, and " acting as a bandage" upon them. 



Mr. Daws preferred — " for thorough-pins, spavins, and cutbs," 

 — " the iron beyond dispute." But in firing he has rarely pene- 

 trated the skin without having had cause to repent of it." In 

 two instances of "broken down" horses, fired for experiment, 

 deep cautery lesions, such as were recommended by the Messrs. 

 Turner, were followed by death. 



