DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND EARS."^' 237 



around the joint. When one makes its appearance, it is to 

 be regarded as only the harbinger of many more. In the 

 winter of 1858-9, we saw a wart on the pastern of the hind 

 leg of a horse, encircling the whole joint, which was nearly 

 twenty inches in circumference. It consisted of ^ve or six 

 excrescences of different sizes, each of them very sore, raw, 

 and bleeding. The animal was a fine young mare, of good 

 size and form, but at that time feverish and in quite low 

 condition. 



The blood wart is occasionally found hanging in the form 

 of a pellet, connected with the skin by a neck or stem. When 

 this is the case, it is easily removed. 



TREATMENT. 



If the wart is of the kind mentioned in the last paragraph, 

 tie a waxed cord around the little stem of the waft as tightly 

 as it can be .drawn. This completely stops the circulation, 

 and, of course, cuts off all nutrition; and, in a few days, the 

 stem will separate from its connection, so that the wart will 

 drop off. 



In treating other warts, a strong solution of caustic potash 

 will be the best remedy for eating down the excrescence and 

 killing the seed. Take of crude potash about one pound, and, 

 after allowing it to remain exposed to the air until it dissolves, 

 add a small quantity of water. Touch the end of the wart 

 each morning — or, still better, each morning and evening — 

 with this solution, by means of a little mop. After each ap- 

 plication, the dead matter on the top of the wart should be 

 scraped or thoroughly washed off before making another. 

 Three or four days will be long enough to use the solution 

 continuously. Then omit two days, and apply again as before. 



Great caution will be necessary, not only in confining the 

 application to the wart, but also to prevent the potash from 

 afterward spreading to the healthy surface adjoining. Severe 

 sores have sometimes resulted from a careless use of this 

 powerful caustic. To guard against the possibility of such 

 injuries, take a thick piece of paper and cut a hole through 



