CANfcER. 445 



restraint. The same thing happens, under other circumstances, 

 in cases in which we are desirous to promote the formation of 

 healthy horn. Without such pressure as at the same time main- 

 tains the growth within proper bounds, we well know how diffi- 

 cult this often is to accomplish. And what further favours this 

 view of the matter, is, that fungus is never seen in situations 

 where villi or villosities are indemonstrable, as upon the sur- 

 faces of the laminae, &c. 



It might be expected, that, since the fibres of the fungous 

 growth consist, in point of fact, of hypertrophic villi, the fungus 

 itself would prove a highly sensitive substance; whereas, so 

 far from this being the case — though it be so vascular that it 

 bleeds freely from slight injury — every practitioner vt^ell knows 

 that it possesses no, or but extremely little, sensibility. Indeed, 

 the animal himself shews this by the manner in which he steps 

 upon it. and the extent to which he can endure dressings, and 

 wounds, and pressure upon it. This loss or want of sensibility 

 M. Bouley accounts for, by the thick coating of fibro-plastic 

 matter in which the villi are included, in the course of their in- 

 creased development, and which really, as it were, isolates the 

 nerves from all surrounding impressions. 



Canker is tardy in its Progress, in general. Though 

 so strong is the reproductive process that we can hardly repress 

 the growth of fungus, this does not evince actual spread of the 

 disease from part to part, but only the excited condition of such 

 parts as are already in a state of disease. Still, this is only the 

 case at certain times and under certain circumstances; since 

 every now and then it happens that the disease assumes a chronic, 

 indolent, inactive form altogether, neither spreading nor healing. 

 So that, as might be anticipated from what has been said, 



Lameness is by no Means remarkable in Canker. 

 So far from it, indeed, looking at the condition of the foot, we 

 are apt to feel surprised to find how firmly the horse steps upon 

 it, and, after the diseased parts have been compactly bound up 

 — providing no very sharp dressings have been used — how well 

 he is able to perform work with it. When, however, the fungous 

 growths have been cut or burnt ofi* and caustic dressings come 

 10 be applied to the morbid tissues, intense pain, and in most 



