OTHER RRAIRDIES FOR SPAVIN. 127 



was introduced, the broadest tape that could be procured being 

 used for the purpose. The inflammation in the fired hock was 

 augmented, and for a time maintained beyond the ordinary degree, 

 by dressings to the scores of blister ointment ; while the seton 

 in the other horse was kept discharging as much as possible by 

 digestive dressings. The seton was kept in five weeks. At the 

 expiration of two months from the commencement of their treat- 

 ment, the setoned subject was cast and sold on account of " in- 

 curable lameness," he having experienced but little relief; whereas 

 the fired horse returned to his stable "sound," to resume his dutv. 

 I am quite aware that an experiment of this description is open to 

 objection, first, from the difficulty, next to impossibility, of pro- 

 curing two exactly similar cases of disease* ; and, secondly, from 

 their being insulated cases ; though this latter objection falls to the 

 ground when it comes to be supported by that observation and ex- 

 periment on an extended scale which decides the question of 

 efficacy in chronic or confirmed cases of spavin by a great majority 

 in favour of the firing-iron. 



I shall now relate a case which would seem to prove the supe- 

 riority of the seton over the cautery; though, for my own part, I 

 would not assert that the failure of the latter was not ascribable to 

 lack of time of repose, or of absence from work, being afforded. 



No. 21 horse, belonging to H troop, was admitted into the infirmary 

 June 1835, on account of relapsed lameness from palpable spavin. 

 Inungation of the tumour with ung. ant. potassio-tart. having been 

 employed without benefit, the month following the hock was fired 

 deeply. The operation was performed on the 23d of July, from 

 which period until the 26th of September the patient was kept in 

 a box. Still he went lame ; and, lame as he was, was sent to his 

 own stable to take walking exercise in hand, it being thought that, 

 after so much rest, motion might benefit him. On the 12th of No- 

 vember, he having done nothing in the interval but take, daily, his 

 prescribed walking exercise, he returned into the infirmary for 

 treatment lamer even than he had been before. A blister was ap- 



* It might be urged that it was impossible to say with precision what was 

 the state of the \iOc\i joints. 



