SCIRRHUS. 297 



parts, or puts on the true carcinomatous character. — See 

 Cancer. — On the contrary, it may be regarded as mild in its 

 character, little painful, and not attended with any particular 

 foetor in the discharges made therefrom. It is also worthy of 

 remark, that an examination of the scirrhous tumours of the 

 dog presents a different appearance from those of the human 

 subject. In the former, instead of exhibiting various strata of 

 morbid matter, the innermost of which is the most condensed, 

 there are seen, in the canine tumours of this kind, appearances 

 more resembling a collection of glands, or of firm hydatids ; 

 each of which exhibits, on a section of it, a distinct diseased 

 process. 



Scirrhous indurations appear to be principally occasioned 

 by the same causes that tend to the production of mange ; 

 namely, vitiated or superabundant secretions of some parts, 

 the effect of a general fulness of habit striving to relieve it- 

 self. These tumours are, therefore, most frequent among 

 dogs who are hotly kept, suffer much confinement, and are 

 over-fed. 



Scirr^hous Teats of Bitches. — The mammary glands are 

 very usually the seat of scirrhous tumours, particularly among 

 those bitches who have not been allowed to breed. They 

 are also common to those of gross plethoric habits, and to 

 such as live a confined life, and are too full fed. The origin 

 of these tumours may be very frequently dated from an in- 

 flammation in the mammae, from retained milk when the 

 pups have died ; or from the coagulating of that milk which 

 forms, by sympathy, about the period a bitch would have 

 pupped, provided she had been allowed to breed. A small 

 nucleus, or kernel, not larger often than a pea, is first felt 

 within the gland, which sometim.es increases fast; at others 

 it enlarges very slowly, appearing to give little uneasiness, 

 until its weight makes it prove troublesome. If the tumour 

 is not dispersed in this state, sooner or later, it proceeds to 

 ulceration ; immediately previous to which, one or two small 

 shining vesicles form on its surface, which break, and ooze 

 out an ichor or glairy fluid, but which seldom, in this stage, 



U 



